-A delightful atmosphere at that

With 63 listeners on Spotify, Natural Palace’s newest and first EP Change of Atmosphere is truly an underground gem. With echoing synth, electric beats, overlapping rhythms, rapt highs, moody lows and curious lyrics; what more could a synth pop listener ask for? Each track is electrifying and undeniably happy.

Track number one, “Mercury Slip,” sends the listener into truly atmospheric nostalgia of the ’80s new wave/synth pop era. When listening to this track, the audience may think of Depeche Mode and reminisce over the explosive development of synth pop.

“Feelin Healthy” begins with dark moody instrumentals and lyricism. As the rhythm develops, the phrase “Oh, what do you know?” resounds. Suddenly the beat drops, rhythms overlap and one message is thrown at the listener, smooth and groovy: “Feeling healthy.” The lyrics declare “Stop the music,” instruments rest and the funk crescendos as the flute solo is introduced. 

The title of the track “Wind Chymes” leads one to expect a delicate, light and bright sound implicative of a chime itself. Instead, “Wind Chymes” strikes the audience with juxtaposition, feeding them with dark ’80s beeps and repetitive, chanting lyrics. The only thing remotely similar to wind chimes within this track is the randomness of the generally electronic tones clanging. Superstition surrounding wind chimes involves the belief that bad luck is on the horizon if wind chimes are silent, so when the lyrics say “Wind chimes don’t be too soft / we need a warning when the wind takes off,”  it may be referring more directly to the symbolism of wind chimes. 

“2 Hot 2 Touch” welcomes the listener to the world of autotune and robotic harmonies. Hi-hat beats and stuttering lyrics keep the audience up with the tempo. As the song escalates, the synth becomes a drone in the background. It steadies and solidifies the song as one of the first and last things played, making it remotely similar to the drones of Indian classical music. 

“Clockface” is contemplative, containing only four echoing words over a collection of beats. The lyrics, “the world takes more,” assumedly refers to time passing, taking moments with it and never giving it back. Towards the very end, the music eases in tempo and slowly limits each instrument contributing to the song, the listener, gently guided from one track to the next. 

The final track, “Water (Temperature Controlled Mix),” opens with a beat drop that scratches an itch in the brain like no other. This track is overall euphonious and reminisces on the ’80s with the mention of “fishnet gloves” over the synths. Ending the album on a happy sounding beat, the whispered chorus is rather ominous.