Synth-pop, Rock

A deeply millennial question we should probably ask ourselves: what is it about synth-pop/indie music that we find so damn pleasing or interesting?

It’s a relevant question, the music of today’s youth that can be classified as modern pop is nothing short of happy, digital audio-SOMA. With catchy chorus hooks, arpeggiated 1’s and 0’s, and tenor voices fluttering over keyboards and electric guitars, indie music is the musical zeitgeist, and it’s difficult to deny that. While pop/indie takes many forms, of course, it can be found in every musical nook and cranny from the modern phenomenon of EDM to even quiet self-effacing background music in a coffee shop.

The foundation of this genre (read: word is used out of a sheer lack of other words to circumvent classification) is simple, but often ebullient – perhaps that is why we like it. It’s not easy to dwell on the trials and tribulations of daily life while enveloping yourself in the latest pop/indie album. It’s almost like a drug and we forget about the bad.

Panama Wedding has only released brief EPs, but the quartet has brought about a type of synth-pop nostalgia that put an old, but much welcomed spin on modern synth-pop. This may be even more true on their latest release, Into Focus, more so than their previous EP.

Peter Kirk, main writer in the quartet and singer, recently released a list of influences he had whilst writing Into Focus. Even after one spin through the EP, it is increasingly clear where and what these musical influences had on the writing, recording and producing process of Into Focus. Some of these influences include Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon, The Police, and Tom Petty. Quite a strong mix – more bands should release lists like these.

Not every synth-pop group is writing about the simplicity of summer or long, roofless drives down a California highway, Panama Wedding, and Kirk by lyrical proxy, prove that heavy topics can be expressed despite the backdrop of synth-pop. Kirk’s lyrics are often dark, laden with cultural critiques of the American Dream, the temptation to drop everything and start over from scratch, and the perils of shutting the mind machine down before sleep.

But it’s an odd juxtaposition – the lyrics are shoved candidly into your ears and yet, there’s all this jovial music in the background telling you a much lighter, digestible story. And it’s the latter version you want to believe more, or at least it’s easier to during the first and second listen.

In “Infinite High,” Kirk sings before the chorus, “Living an American lie / Keeping busy wasting time / running on a chemical high / and it never felt so good.” While the “chemical high” can be a number of different things, it remains clear that American culture encourages its compatriots to discover their own bliss and to chase after it. There’s something to that, maybe that’s why these digital pop releases are so ubiquitous in today’s musical scene. After all, there are a seemingly endless amount of EDM festivals that praise the use of chemical, feel-good products.

On the other hand, the music itself is pretty standard, essentially running the gamut of the synth-pop genre. There are certainly moments of interest that are appealing and memorable, like the guitar solo during “Into Focus,” the title track. However, overall the quality seems no different than other performers of the genre.

Whether or not this is the goal of Panama Wedding remains to be seen, but their overall execution seems to suggest they are playing between the lyrics and the music. And that’s welcomed, it helps to diversify the genre, distinguish the group, and hopefully encourage others to write similarly.

Panama Wedding have released an EP that is indicative of good things to come for future releases. Perhaps even as soon as 2016.