Oklahoma City-based band Blueprint Tokyo enthralls with a melodically memorable synth-laden rock appeal on new album Neon Circuits and the Mission of Hope. “This album is a mix of neon-lit nostalgia, hope, and the energy of a live show packed into 16 tracks,” says the act, who were responsible for one of 2024’s best EPs in Blue.
Album opener “Say Anything” is enjoyably demonstrative of the project’s tendency for both atmospheric entrancement and hooky vigor. “We’ll keep the fire going,” a dreamy yet perseverant vocal rings out, complemented by a soaring enthusiasm that builds with momentum as sturdy guitars and twinkling keys meld admirably. The ensuing “Replicants” is another winner, especially magnetic in its ascent from starry-eyed “don’t break your back” urgings into an ardent blend of riveting vocals and distorted guitar pulsations.
Another standout, “Invisible Year” consumes in its traversal from late-night intrigue into explosive rock passion. An initial foray of jangling guitars and “go out tonight,” lyrical scene-setting expands into an invigorated vocal elongation passing the two-minute turn, where crunchy electric guitars and shimmering keys swell with climactic appeal. In the initially lusher spectrum, “Connected Lines” fuses twangy guitars and effervescent keys into an anthemic vocal unveiling, then maneuvering seamlessly into harmonious vocal backings and a sense of glistening ’80s nostalgia. Neon Circuits and the Mission of Hope marks another thorough success from Blueprint Tokyo.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
