Michael McDannold AKA Positronic continues his prolific run of releases with a brand new album called "Interstellar" and as we have come to expect, we have a set of synthpop gems.
The album opens with the excellent upbeat "Cosmic Dreams", which has strong hooks and is actually a well constructed track with wonderful synth sounds and "Erasure" inspired melodies, certainly a sign that Michael's songwriting continues to impress, fabulous track.
The single "Gravity" is definitely one for the dancefloor with it's dance beat, some nice sequenced melodies on this song and a very strong vocal with excellent lyrics.
"Rise" opens with a fabulous sequencer synth patterns, excellent bass-line, I like the feel of this track, a more meloncholic song, again the synth sounds are superb, I wasn't expecting the chorus, very strong and cuts through the more minimalistic sound perfectly, nice vocal delivery. It reminded me of Depeche Mode in parts, one of my favourite tracks on the album.
The single "In The Stars Tonight" is a belter of a track, one for the dancefloor, a solid and powerful song with a superb chorus, the whole track shines, excellent music and vocals, no surprise it was chosen as a single, a superbly produced track. My favourite track on the album.
Back to the dancefloor again with "A Sky Full Of Stars", upbeat, great structure on this song, what I would call a "banger", I like everything about this song, very uplifting and powerful chorus driven by a strong rhythmic section, another very strong track, the chorus is truly delightful, a track that was released as a single.
You can tell Michael is a big fan of Erasure, especially so on "Inception", it has a beautiful melody that runs through the song, with gentle sequencers, a perfect instrumental interlude.
When I first saw the title "Strangelove", I thought it was a cover of the Depeche Mode track, but it isn't, it is a a mid-paced song which for me showcases how Michael has developed his vocal skills, a perfect marriage with the electronic backdrop of the song, some nice melody parts again, something I think Michael really excells in. This is also the latest track off the album to be released as a single.
"Starlight" has a throbbling bass-line and excellent sequencer parts once again, a strong and confident vocal over a darker synth pallette, not as instant as other tracks on the album, however, after several listens you come to appreciate the layers and depth of this song.
"Through The Stars" is probably my least favourite track on the album, it's good but it didn't draw me in like other tracks on the album, that said I did like his use of synths.
Next we have a darker track, "Andromeda" deep bass dominates this track, which kicks into life at the 1 minute mark and opens up to some wonderful synth work, like "Inception" it is an instrumental but the melody at the 1 minute 30 secs mark is devine, another track I enjoyed.
The beautiful ballad "Glow" is next which has a more minimalistic backdrop that gives centre stage to Michaels vocals, I do like how the track develops and builds, a strong song in this set.
I do like the ryhthm track on "The Light" that evolves nicely with the bass parts and gentle sequencers, a track that showcases Michaels confident vocal, some really nice synth sounds used to great effect, I love the chorus, a stunning track and one of the best tracks on the album.
What a bonus!! A cover of "Neverending Story" which fits in nicely within the whole concept of this album and what a cover version, he has stayed true to the original version in its structure, a very well thought out cover version without a doubt. Another confident vocal, in short it is perfect! A welcome addition to the album and one of Michael's best ever tracks, fabulous!
"Echos Through Time" is a wonderful atmospheric track opening with beautiful pads and sounds, nice bass-line and a simple drum structure, which suits the song. I like how the track grows, it keeps to its ballad roots, a very impressive and immersive track, another big favourite of mine.
I have followed Michaels music very closely over several years now and have had the pleasure to review his albums and once again he has produced an album of real quality, raising the bar even further with his songwriting skills, another body of work he should be really proud of and highly recommend this album, if you love synthpop and are especially a fan of Vince Clarke and Erasure, a pleasure to listen to from start to finish.
8.5/10
The album is available on CD and as a Digital Download via Bandcamp here
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