A detailed look at the significant differences between synthwave and synthpop
Dreamwave
Czarina ventures to the ends of time and space in search of true love on “Til the Last Star”
Kalax returns with new friends for a satisfying collection of dreamwave tracks.
Michael Oakley’s first full-length album delivers exceptional ’80s nostalgia in a modern package
The best popwave and dreamwave tracks with vocals of 2018.
Catchy popwave tracks with minimal complexity comprise a brief but enjoyable offering
Kids’ candy-like interpretation of the past delivers mixed results.
Streets offers several rewarding slices of heartfelt popwave music
A glimmering jewel of melodic popwave delivered across 10 vocal-driven entries.
Nothing is Lost offers a rewarding collection of instrumental and vocal-driven popwave music that rivals and often exceeds prominent releases in the style.
Rating: 68 / 100 A handful of great songs are hidden within Timecop1983’s latest venture into dreamy soundscapes, though it can be hard to find them among the overly similar compositions.
Rating: 87 / 100 Sleepwalking is a finely crafted — though somewhat uneven — creation that occasionally achieves pop perfection
Rating 87 / 100 “Four years after the excellent Deja Vu album, FM Attack has once again delivered a highly rewarding collection of songs. A pair of contributions from Mnynms help to accent and diversify FM Attack’s own vocal approaches, and several inspired melodic compositions propel the album into the upper echelon of the genre in 2017.”
Rating: 88 / 100 “Sunset Neon takes tremendous risks with his willingness to tackle a different musical style on every song. With relatively minor exceptions, the risks pay off. Starlight’s immaculate production and glossy vocals offer a wealth of mainstream-friendly music that can hook listeners on the very first spin.”
Rating: 62 / 100 The Midnight’s venture into modern soft synthwave is quietly pleasant but relatively unfulfilling.