Synth Single Review: “One Last Drive” by New Arcades

by Karl Magi

New Arcades’ “One Last Drive” takes listeners on a midnight journey with peace flowing from tones that move like a subtropical breeze ruffling one's hair. Like the steady vibration of tires on pavement, the rhythm supports lambent notes exuding a phosphorescence like street lights, while the melodic line draws an image of a long drive through palm tree-lined streets.

I can imagine cruising in a convertible, top down, as a tranquil sense of contemplation fills my mind. Passing headlights float like stars in the twilight sky. Robotic voices move like haunting reminders of the past, while the drumbeat evokes asphalt passing under the car as it moves down lonely streets.

An atmosphere of gentle, almost painful nostalgia drenches the background as refulgent notes flicker like headlights on the horizon. All of the sonic elements interlock to paint a late-night wandering down endless roads before quiet descends.