Atmospheric synth-pop touches the soul…
The dulcet tones of EMPATHY TEST are keeping an industrious schedule following on from the polished perfection of ‘By My Side’. Now the electronic outfit return with a new tune in the form of the scintillating synth-pop of ‘Bare My Soul’.
We’re not quite sure if the duo of Isaac Howlett (vocals) and Adam Relf (production) have a masterplan at work behind the scenes, but it’s clear that with the latest release they’re raising the bar in terms of their songwriting craft.
Here on ‘Bare My Soul’, the soaring melodies and heartfelt lyrics have a particular power that manages to undo all those tired old tropes about synth-pop being cold and unemotional in one song.
The lyrics offer up brief vignettes, each of which manage to elicit the idea of something being both “tragic and beautiful”. At the same time, there’s a subtle building up of layers of electronic elements that culminates in a powerful delivery that’s both mythical and melodious.
‘Bare My Soul’ and ‘By My Side’ both follow on from from the 2016 double A-side single ‘Demons’/’Seeing Stars’. These tunes are all culled from Empathy Test’s forthcoming album release, titled Safe From Harm, which is due out this June. The album is being supported by a PledgeMusic campaign and will be accompanied by a new single release, which will be the album’s title track.
Empathy Test continue to deliver warm, evocative synth-pop that manages to cross many boundaries. There’s a cinematic quality to their material married with an emotional impact, offering a rare quality in the current music scene.
‘Bare My Soul’ is out now. Safe From Harm is released 23rd June.
EmpathyTest.com
Soundcloud.com/EmpathyTest
Facebook.com/EmpathyTest
https://twitter.com/empathytest
