Based out of London, Canada, synth-pop project Halcyon utilizes shimmering guitars, swaying synth pads, and powerful vocals to make for a uniquely powerful listening experience. The vocals, while very unique, do bring up several comparisons — namely John Maus’ deep synth-accompanied croon, Future Islands’ Samuel Herring’s theatrical force, and to some degree The Associates’ Billy Mackenzie. The music, meanwhile, projects an ethereal synth-pop aim while balancing the infectious and serene, similar to Wild Nothing.
New track “Won’t Cry Tonight” is very exemplary of the project’s strengths, unveiling an infectious synth-pop model that incorporates electro sleekness with the backing vocal touches reminiscent of lo-fi visionaries like Maus and Ariel Pink. It’s a high-quality effort for sure. Meanwhile, the more subdued “Light Sleeper” incorporates a beautiful atmosphere with anthemic ’80s-inspired synths, as if another David Sylvian/Ryuichi Sakamoto collaboration was remixed with Phil Collins-esque drum production. It’s another fine track from this enjoyably idiosyncratic synth-pop project.
