Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Tom Astley discovers a delightful slice of 80s synth pop from the songwriter/producer duo
Bryan is the side project of local singer-songwriter Ryan David Welsh (Sorry Escalator) and producer, musician and composer Brendan Portues (Crease, Dripp, Whirlwind Verne, Tribo Do Sol). Musically, the song plants itself firmly within the synth pop of the 80s, with synth patches oscillating wildly around the gravitational points of the likes of Human League, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode.
The clear affinity with 80s synth pop is more than just aesthetic. The lyrics offer a bleakness, a demoralised, scathing stab at a washed out and hopeless political landscape, reminiscent of some of the more dystopian synth pop of Thatcher’s 80s. This is given even more pathos by the drawled out vocal delivery, which is perfectly blended with passion, despair and frustration.
