Correct me if I’m wrong, but did The Wizard of Oz initiate the old film trope, where monochrome shots depict the oppressively mundane, whereas full color signals the escape to a free and wondrous world? Maybe, maybe not, whatever. All I know is, the minute you step into “Gateway,” a kaleidoscopic utopia slaps you upside the head. Soft rock strokes and synths like airbrushes paint the big pastel shapes and sharp neon lines of yesterday’s future; then that vocoder croon comes in, and the fronds just multiply, like you’re in some lush lounge where Peter Gabriel just signed with ZTT. That’s even before you peep the pop art video, which casts local shrubbery in surreal hues and sets silhouettes against shifting backdrops bursting in Technicolor. Truly, this retro paradise merits every eye-catching color.
You can thank JD Walsh, aka Shy Layers, for this prismatic respite. A recent emigrant from Brooklyn, Walsh has already turned heads at Pitchfork for his last release, a self-titled mirror world released on Hamburg’s ultra boutique Growing Bin label. Apparently, “Gateway” and the other joyful signals that comprise his next album Midnight Marker commemorate his move to Atlanta — and we do boast the largest natural canopy of any city in America, so maybe we can take some credit for the strange zen that laces these tropical breezes. More than that, though, Walsh sounds genuinely invigorated by our verdant vista, so while the ’80s-ish set pieces of “Gateway” might look familiar, a modern heartbeat still pulses through.
So, cue the color filter! Greyscale just won’t cut it in Shy Layers’ newfound pop haven.
Midnight Marker is out May 25 via Beats in Space. Pre-orders are available here.
More Info
Bandcamp: shylayers.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @shylayers
SoundCloud: @shy-layers
Twitter: @shylayers