Reduction in Force impresses with a captivating cover of Peter Godwin’s “Images of Heaven,” achieving a magnetic balance of lushly shimmering synths, twangy guitar ardor, and punchy vocal charisma. While the 1982 original exudes instant nostalgia through its throwback synth tones and spacey quivering effects, Reduction in Force’s take plays like a modern, expansive facelift. Right away, chiming guitars and understated electronics adorn a throbbing rhythmic backbone, then moving into a warming synth buzz and glimmering ’80s pads. The arrangement builds with seamless, artful precision.
The vocals emerge as the instrumentation scales back to more delicate synths and steadier rhythmic ruminations. “And there’s nothing I can do, the media made you,” they let out with intrigue, building into a title-referencing surge, complemented by an uptick of guitar-based ferocity at the two-minute mark. The track dazzles in its alternation between synth-ready minimalism and more layered expanses, culminating in a lush, string-laden finale where the “images of heaven” vocal refrain persists beautifully alongside the guitars and synths. Reduction in Force enthralls with this interpretation of the 1982 classic.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
