Although music has to move forward, it is sometimes nice to indulge in the sounds of the past. After all, even the most progressive of us turn to our sonic comfort zones when we what to ground ourselves and feel warm and nostalgic. So, an album of new, original songs which feel as if they have tumbled, for the large part, out of a mid-eighties, John Hughes soundtrack, one that undoubtedly featured Molly Ringwald, is the best of both worlds.
Live Wire On The Sunset Strip sees Wave on Waves collaborate with synth-pop artists from all over the world to re-imagine that Day-Glo decade and it does so perfectly. There are smooth synth ballads such as LA Late At Night, there are blends of digital grace and infectious groove with Mulholland Drive Danger Zone and there are full-on dance floor anthems courtesy of Blackout. There’s even a gorgeously understated, piano and voice cover of Drive by The Cars.
And to reinforce the 80’s vibe, not only does the music tick all the right boxes, lyrically the songs feel both of that time and nostalgic, dropping key phrases and wielding all the right references yet somehow also a modern tribute to a bygone musical age, albeit one that is having a real moment in the sonic sun once more.
If you were there at the time, you will love this. If you weren’t, this is the perfect introduction to one of the dominant sounds of that time.
