Matt Goodluck - Portals

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Matt Goodluck’s Portals reflects a singular musical vision and carries me on a journey through beautiful sonic moments and uniquely expressed emotions. The artist has a charming ability to weave together synth and guitars to drift through atmospheric landscapes and meditative states. His melodic writing is engaging and the way in which he mingles tones, timbres, and sonic textures creates ear-pleasing mental imagery. As the music unfolds, it truly opens portals to other worlds and states of mind, pulling me along and creating a fulfilling listening experience.

I am bowled over by Matt Goodluck and his guests compositional creativity. The music is full of superbly combined auditory qualities, with melodies that move in fresh directions and convey powerful feelings with clarity and purpose. Whether they are evoking intergalactic drifting or the endless sands of a desert planet, they do so with skill and passion. As a result, Portals bursts with wonderfully realized imagery and expression. Each track explores somewhere new and I am eager to go along with it.

All of the guitar playing on Portals further endears me to it. Matt Goodluck and his guests are talented players, channeling psychological states and vivid imagery through their instruments. They lift me above the mundane and transports me to places I’ve never been. Their musical skill allows them to be first-rate tour guides through the soundscapes and emotions that unfold as the music progresses.

For me, the ability of Portals to reveal other worlds and visions of reality is deeply enjoyable. There is a sense of adventure and opening vistas that permeates every song. I am a willing participant in Matt Goodluck’s voyages through time and space.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Shifting Sands” comes to life as trembling tones swirl with softly intertwining synths and an electric guitar which drifts with soothing motion. The percussion rebounds to contribute a strong rhythm as the guitar swirls like sand running across the dunes. The beat creates a steady pulse as the subterranean bass moves and a broadly floating synth transmits visions of vast emptiness.

The bubbling notes add roundness as a distorted voice wanders with unsettling sensations. As steadily vibrating notes roam, the guitar hovers like sand slowly blowing in a steady wind. Rippling notes flicker as the threatening bass rumbles and fades before air breathes through psychedelically disembodied notes.

Images of endless horizons, full of rolling dunes, permeate the music. I feel as though I am traveling across this landscape, continually washed by hot wind. Tony Lopresto’s guitar adds minor-key cascades while the beat rebounds and crystalline notes shimmer. The drum beat and bass are hypnotic while the guitar levitates with fragility and the track slides into quiet.

Towering, shadowy notes move around an auroral synth to commence “Dark Waters”. Weightlessness permeates the glowing synth as the low end adds shape. A slowly undulating note pattern trails through the music, while the percussion adds a lightly shaping pattern.

Gliding notes create placid sensations while elevated sounds glimmer softly and the bass adds weight. I find the music conjures up floating feelings for me. Trickling notes add to the aquatic sensibility while the lightly touching melody is joined by expansive sounds.

The tempo accelerates with a ticking beat and Tony Coppola’s washing bass adds rich depth while bending notes slip past. The main melody evokes eddying water while the lambent notes provide a contrast to the heavy bass. The music drifts along smoothly while Tony Lopresto’s entangling guitar transmits pure serenity and the percussion adds form. Notes tumble briefly before the track breathes out once more and silence falls.

“Synergy” starts with distantly revolving notes moving into softly hissing space. Cosmic wafting fills the widely trembling, metallic tones as they slip past above fragile arpeggios while percussion rattles. The resonant tones play through the music with disconnected grace, shimmering like far-off starlight.

A widely echoing synth vibrates with freedom as the delicate notes carry a melody exuding contemplative peace. Andy Salvanos’ Chapman stick has a planetary glisten as a tremulous synth shimmers with ancient light. Entangling notes surround me as the Chapman stick glints softly and the bass ripples. I am transported by this thoughtful, heartfelt piece through the broad star fields beyond the edge of our galaxy.

Drifting tones wander with restrained elegance and warmly breathing strings flicker. A quickly flashing synth evokes cosmic space, weightless and unmoored, as the Chapman stick rapidly skips to create a hypnotizing pattern. As twisting sounds wriggle in the distance, the strings cry with hurt and the guitar carries me away. A hissing sound, like cosmic dust, brushes past before the track finishes.

Crackling static and intimidating bass with an absently floating sound travels through to open “Dune”. Electric bass tangles with shadowy weight as the hissing wind continues. A softly tripping sound moves with the desert wind and a spectral-toned instrument descends mysteriously as a strumming guitar adds a unique feeling.

Vocal-sounding notes drift as the guitar evokes an ancient stringed instrument, carrying wisdom as the percussion locks into a slamming groove. The choral synth roams with nomadic grace while interlocking drums add to the otherworldly feeling. Voices echo with a timeless, enigmatic sensibility as rattling tones in the distance sound like bones in the wind.

Skittering noises create tension while an elevated, squirming sound drifts and the throbbing weight below thunders. Raised notes cry out as the heavily rebounding drum beat continues. I am hypnotized and captivated, my mind filled with images of endless sand dunes and the survivors who live in them.

Wind sweeps as the tapping percussion moves with slowly descending, caressing notes that float while the strings call out with minor key magic, weaving a desert melody that flows like endless wind. Hollow percussion pops as the wind blows and the track falls silent.

“After Hours” begins with rushing traffic and open-sounding drums while flaring notes glide. Clapping percussion moves with shifting tones, then sharp edged synth carries a laid-back melody. There’s a chilled-out cruise to the music that relaxes me as tautly unwinding sounds contrast with a crystalline synth lattice.

As the percussion throbs, the tightly unwinding synth skips while hard-edged bass slices and the drums brush past. Tapping sounds in the distance mix with pattering percussion as laser-like notes radiate. Silken sounds glide with nocturnal grace while the percussion continues to pulse.

A minor key synth transforms into an erupting, percussive rush joined by trembling sounds and vocal tones that add a sense of creeping danger. The drum beat is steady while the low end snarls and tumbles before being cut by neon light, shining into the city. Piercing tones glimmer before the music stops.

Flatly rattling and bursting percussive sounds tremble to commence “Visions”. The rhythmic pattern becomes hypnotic as dangerous bass adds ominous undertones. Distantly tapping sounds are unsettling as the vocal clip adds otherworldly strangeness. Gnarled synth brings ghostly sensations while a writhing sound creates crawling discomfort.

Full-sounding notes wander and a string-like synth vibrates as the voiceover speaks of psychoactive substances bringing on alterations in consciousness. The bass continues to oscillate lugubriously while a piercingly gleaming instrument cries out.

Tremulous notes heave as a trickling xylophone conjures reawakening to a new consciousness for me. Dripping sounds move while the hollow background shifts, and a wide-sounding synth unevenly shimmers as rattling notes entangle and swelling depths rise before the track closes.

“Golden Haze” opens with meditative breathing and thoughtful synth along with xylophone-like tones which shiver out in luscious calm. The springy drums throb and the bass pulses while medium-high, soft-edged notes carry a deeply relaxing melody. The rhythm is smooth and hypnotic while clapping percussion adds a clean feel.

Bouncing notes frolic as delicate energy permeates them above the resonating beat. Fluting, warm tones drift with a misty flow, falling like morning fog pierced by sunlight. Deep voices call out while Tony Lopresto’s guitar evokes sparkling blue sky glimpsed through dissipating fog. Digitally vibrant tones shift as the undulating notes move below, bringing the song to its end.

Massively vibrating sounds begin “Departure” as the guitar churns and fragile chimes gleam. Power radiates from the guitar, creating a sensation of growing strength underneath the faraway bells. Misty light suffuses the background while glowing notes shine like distant galaxies as the bass grows seismic.

A feeling of anti-gravity soaring moves from the bright synth outward, evoking a sensation of slowly rising through a planetary atmosphere, filling me with feelings of horizons opening. The guitar shines with freedom and delicacy while the rhythmic pattern below it generates strength. I can picture a spacecraft waiting on a launch pad, engines beginning to fire for a voyage home.

Everything is still and calm, anticipation hanging in the air while a far-off rumble instills tension. The guitar glimmers like light on the atmosphere’s rim as trembling sounds press in. The main melody breathes out, releasing serenity in preparation for soaring to the stars. The guitar unwinds with subtle elegance, vaporous and glowing, while the background stutters with discomfort.

Sliding notes plane through the music, exhaling calmly as the bright tones gleam softly above the threatening bass. Balance is restored by a gliding synth that rolls smoothly, while distant shivering notes move and a pipe-like instrument echoes. The background rushes rapidly, but as the track finishes, all-pervasive tranquility reigns.

Conclusion

Portals opens the gates of my mind to fresh worlds and musical expressions. With this album, Matt Goodluck skillfully carries me away from a gritty, gray world and conveys me across vast swathes of stars and into realms beyond ordinary consciousness.

Lavallette - Love And Lies

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

Lavallette’s Love And Lies brims over with classic '80s synth-pop sounds, a masterful vocal performance from Sophia and exciting melodic and harmonic moments. Without being clichéd, this album hits the '80s sounds right on the button, while also adding fresh ideas and intriguing songwriting. The vocals are engaging and fresh while the synth sounds combine with unique melodic ideas and fascinating audio tones and shadings to draw strong imagery.

Without a doubt, it's Sophia's vocal performance that anchors Love And Lies. Her voice is a flexible, distinctive and beautiful instrument which captures the album’s plethora of emotional states and atmospheres. Whether she's expressing aching pain or defiance, her voice moves from low and lush to soaring and powerful. She's able to capture the essence of the songwriting and deliver it directly to my soul with her voice.

Another reason why Love And Lies draws my attention is the balance of classic sounding 1980s rhythms and synth sounds with innovative and frankly cool ideas. There is a melodic and harmonic balance to the music which I find intoxicating, keeping my ears interested as the different synth tones and instruments weave together into one luscious whole. I especially enjoy the interesting melodies which the artist writes because they embody the mood of each song well.

I also enjoy the atmospheric nature of the music which paints intense imagery across each track, filling in the background and supporting the vocals and songwriting. Each song is a journey which is initiated by the vocalist and completed by the instrumental backing. The end result is music which I can go back and listen to repeatedly and always discover something new.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Summer Rain” starts with a reverberant synth swelling as Sophia's fresh voice and a jumping guitar join. Cosmic light suffuses the melodic synth as Sophia's captivating voice exudes fervent sentiment. The pounding low end is joined by the guitar’s shining glow as the rhythm punches strongly and the synth beams like sunlight cutting through fading clouds. Sophia’s performance draws me into the song’s atmosphere.

The guitar knots with brilliance and the bursting percussion interlocks with the bass while lusciously soaring vocals climb with dynamic resolution. Diamond-like cadences flow and the track throbs to an end with Sophia's voice.

As the narrator feels the warmth of the song's subject, she asks them to “keep your eyes on me” because she knows they can feel it too. She says that she'll “fight the pain, fight for love” as she senses it coming like “summer rain.”

Even if the other person pushes her away, she'll return for more. She declares that she can take the storm. She asks the song’s subject to “tell me what you're thinking” as she encourages them not to give up on her. She concludes, “I can't take you leaving, stay until the sun goes down.”

Quickly tripping, rebounding sounds move over the thunderously punching low end to kick off “Drive Me Crazy.” Here the singer showcases her low vocals, deep and rich like black coffee, as echoing sounds and a heartbeat thumps. A far-reaching sound slides past as the vocals climb higher, shivering with intensity as the intermingling synth skips with sunny radiance.

The undertones are thick as gossamer notes flow while the drums thunder. I enjoy the way in which the vocals veer between exasperation and desire. Fat tones bend and Sophia's voice rises, catching the depth of need while still expressing annoyance at the antics of the main character. Raised notes bubble with neon-lit dynamism while the vocals repeat a hypnotic chant until silence falls.

Feeling like she’ll lose her mind, our storyteller says her heart is being pulled from left to right “on the brink of insanity” but the song's subject is all hers. She adds, “I can't breathe when you're with me, you call me baby and disappear.” In spite of this, she admits that they’re like a drug and all she needs. She asks the other person to “take my heart and set me free.”

Now the narrator wants the other person to “ready your shot and take your aim” because she'll continue to play their games. She wonders aloud, “what can I say?” as she runs in circles to keep up and admits she can't “work my head around the shit you do.” She feels the subject makes a fool of her but concedes, “it's all over for me, I'm too addicted to you.”

“Let Me Go” opens as a darting synth moves with gentle piano chords and faraway, drifting vocals. Now Sophia’s voice adds devotion while slowly ticking, percussive sounds move. diaphanous, sparkling notes skip above the colossal rhythm as a gauzy synth floats with a distantly haunting feeling.

The way in which the singer moves between love and a need for escape comes through as the pan pipes exhale. The huge beat batters heavily while jagged notes growl. Like the words themselves, the music is layered and full of contradictions, while a solar synth flashes as the heavily pounding low end towers. A surging synth blasts out brilliance while the drums collide with the thick bass and the words call with zeal above the broadly hitting drums before the song ends.

It can be difficult when one doesn't know "what we have or where we're going," but the narrator is staying up "every night wishing for something to ignite the spark in us." She reassures the song's subject that she isn't going anywhere because "right here is where we need to be."

Our storyteller asks the other person to "just hold on, take me as I am or let me go." In the next breath, she admits she doesn't want to be let go. At the age of 17, "between the dragon slaying and when we grew up," she spent days "looking for a way through the mirror and the lies."

She concludes, "don't give up, stay with me," because where they are is where they need to be. She adds, "stay with me, blame it on me for the last time."

Quickly springing, hollow notes move with lightly flickering sounds to open “Wasted Love.” The bass rebounds with the clean drums as Sophia adds a bittersweet feeling while the quickly rippling, glistening synth frolics. The singer reflects the hurt and anger in the lyrics as the drums smash while the guitar snarls and dances. Sharp-edged keys move with the heavy bass.

Blindingly bright notes skim past while exhaling pipes float and colossal percussion shatters. Sophia expresses relief and freedom, imbuing me with those feelings. As shiny notes rise with brilliance, the percussive maelstrom batters out and levitating notes shimmer. The rapidly charging synth trips past while impassioned words fly and the song comes to an end.

Our storyteller is looking for an answer to "soothe my soul, baby" as she asks to be taken away, saying "these are the nights we remember." Unsure of where she's going, she isn't too concerned about where she ends up. She doesn't need to be, because it was at times like these that the song's subject said they’d never leave her. Instead, they deceived her and nearly broke her.

Memories of all the things that went wrong stay in the narrator's mind as she adds, "I don't know where we went wrong and I don't care what you did wrong," because the song's subject hurt her for no reason, so they've used up their second chances. She adds that she spent too much time on the other person and they altered who she was.

Unafraid, our storyteller has returned—having survived and now feeling alive. The other person has heard enough and her reply is, "I don't love you any longer, now go get yourself lost." If the other person needs her they can "go cry." She adds, "So sorry to say, you hurt me for the last time, now I'm going to get mine.”

“Man Enough” starts with a choir calling powerfully as the piano briefly intermingles. Now the low end pulsates while Sophia carries the mysterious, haunting melody as bells ring. The rhythm is ferocious while the lyrics add defiance and strength and the cascading beat adds propulsion. A chugging sound slips in the background while the vocals embody a sense of threat that I find compelling.

Sophia's voice is shot through with midnight feeling as the heavily pumping rhythm is joined by bells striking with energetic luminosity. Notes that echo in the distance carry heavy weight and the guitar trickles and then bursts. RAN lets go with a solo that is powerful and infused with feeling, winding out with intricacy and soul.

The guitar suffuses the music with a burning glow as the singer drives home the song’s message. Once again, RAN rips out a howling riff, agonized and strong, while Sophia thrusts the words home before the track ends.

A shadow moves from her window as the narrator speaks of it blocking "the light beneath my door." She’s frozen in place as the song's subject tells her not to worry. She asks defiantly, "Tell me, are you man enough to burn me to the ground, burn me down?"

The look in the song's subject’s eye reflects "secrets and lies, telling me not to worry." She calls the other person the night’s darkness and "the devil in disguise." She points out that "we're all sinners and vagrants, wishing we'd die young."

As the song concludes, she says, "Little baby, little devil, little darling. My secret, your love. Nothing sinks quite like the depths."

8-bit notes glint like digital signals in the dark to commence “Runaway”. The computerized sounds are joined by Sophia's caressing voice which carries the loving melody while a computerized-sounding synth trembles distantly. Quickly looping notes slip like signals through cables as the vocals carry a message of seizing the moment and living life fully.

Sophia skillfully encapsulates all of the youthful joy within the music, her voice resonating with expression. The drum beat adds balance while luscious bass rolls. In the distance, network dreams shimmer from the synth before the playful beat dances along. Sophia captures all of the sensations within the music with positivity. The tumbling notes move like electrical impulses while the vocals flash like lightning before the song ends.

Musing on how quickly time has passed, our storyteller says, I miss the spark in your eyes, alive but not living. She wants them to escape and disappear so they can forget what people say, as she takes the song’s subject far away. She adds, “let's run away and never look back.” Life is too short for them to hesitate, “so we can be kids again once more. Let's run away and never look back.”

The narrator knows the song’s subject has an aching heart and the days and nights go by on replay. She says they shouldn't waste any more time feeling stuck: run away with me, baby and I'll stay forever, always. She concludes that they should forget about tomorrow's worries and let themselves go—just run away.

“Running In The Dark” begins with void-deep bass rumbling along with elevated, fragile notes that shine like distant stars. A synth breathes with soothing tenderness while the raised notes blur like foggy moonlight. The underlying harmonic pattern is trance-inducing as the rhythm glides in and starbursts pour out through the music. The bass is Stygian while a robotic voice speaks and a steady vibration rings like a bell. A cascading synth shivers while the robotic vocals add a synthetic sensation.

Once again, the percussive pattern forms an underpinning as comets flash and lasers slice. Pulsing drums and bass join high notes which twist like spinning galaxies. The melody that moves in glows like distant galactic structures while the pattering beat shifts. I enjoy the feeling of moving through the night, washed by the universe’s light while the electric bass intertwines. The song’s heartbeat is firm while slowly caressing notes spin like Vincent van Gogh’s stars before the track comes to an end.

Fragile radiance shines with tremulous sensations to start “ '80s Love”. Sophie has a throaty warmth to her voice as the percussive elements cascade while the guitar weaves sonic webs and the tapping drums flicker. Sophie captures the song’s wishful spirit. All of the assorted percussive sounds form an underlying support while the vocals float like dandelions on the wind. The synth spills out brightness while the guitar rings with loving, tentative sensations.

The tripping drums slip past while the synth adds a sunset glow and the vocalist tugs at my heartstrings. Bass continues to undulate as the distant vocals whisper and the classic strength of Sophia's gliding voice imbues the music with intense affection. As the gentleness spills out, the drums rebound and the chorus shines happily before digital-sounding notes trickle and silence falls.

It’s a late night on the boardwalk. Our storyteller’s “thoughts roll like the sea as I look for you, the missing part of me.” From winter snowfall till spring bloom, she’ll be waiting for the song’s subject.

The narrator says, “what can I do baby, I need you.” She craves “that '80s love,” saying that she really can't get enough of it. The song's subject is “the one,” so she asks them to give her a chance at “that '80s love.”

The dawn isn't far away, so our storyteller says, “you're the key to my heart, let me hold you closer.” The other person makes her hold the line, so she wants them to stay. She adds, “we will never forget our '80s love, I see the future in your eyes, just take my hand and hold on tight. The stars have aligned for them like our '80s love.”

Conclusion

Love And Lies takes me out of myself and carries me into an alternate 1980s world where synthpop rules and deeply interesting sounds back up emotive singing and expressive songwriting. This is the listening experience I'm willing to continue over and over again.

Retro Synthpop Single Review: “The Beach & Yacht Club’’ by Kylee Kubat

Kylee Kubat’s The Beach & Yacht Club is a celebration of breezy ’80s feelings and Miami vibes. The song opens as exuberant trumpets flash out with a Latin flavour. The sound of rushing waves moves in the distance as the rhythm breaks out with Caribbean energy and the dense bass undulates.

The beat is solid as timbales add a Cuban touch and orchestra hits fly with a flaring synth. Kylee Kubat’s voice is playful and radiant with summery joy while the pumping low end presses forward. The vocals are light and uplifting as the shifting percussion keeps the energy alive.

Her performance brims with dynamic positivity before the track bursts into a classic Latin piano montuno and the chorus soars with breezy happiness. Her throaty vocals exude passion and the vibrant sound makes me smile with its classic warmth. A sparkling piano line dances with flare above the hard-hitting rhythm.

The energy is irresistible, blending inescapable encouragement with jazzy turns that enchant me. The ardent vocals continue to call out before the song ends.

As the song starts, our narrator promises to take us to the Beach & Yacht Club where she’ll rock us. She talks about “dancing all around, in the golden hour” as tropical breezes blow, and she asks us to “listen to the music the condos bring and let’s sing!”

In the freestyle segment, the storyteller talks about how they’ll move “back and forth, round and round” as they flow with the rhythm. She says, “One, two, catch the groove. Three, four, on the shore.” As they take the elevator to the penthouse she adds, “Five, six, seven, eight, don’t be late, no!”

As the song concludes, our narrator says, “the party’s going on, paradise is ours. Out on the boat dock, let’s take a beach walk and find our treasure of love together.”

Synth Single Review: “Kumite’’ by Out Runner

Out Runner’s Kumite elicits dramatic feelings as it unfolds. The track starts as bright tones move with musclebound bass and percussion that thumps me in the chest. The chord changes add to the sense of an impending explosion while flaring with triumphant brightness.

The drum beat fades as slowly descending notes drift with windy lightness and sunlight suffuses the synth. The rhythm is steadying and forceful while metallic notes add intense light above the surging beat. A quickly rushing bassline moves below the smoothly revolving notes which glide past.

Out Runner’s guitar carries a melody full of strength, melancholy and intricate dynamism as it sings. The guitar propels my heart as it begins to whirl and arc upward. The beat bounces as the guitar leaps in emotive lines, soaring with inspiration. Out Runner’s breathtaking guitar skill is on full display before the track fades.