Brooklyn's
St. Lucia return with their second album of buoyant, infectiously melodic synth pop, 2016's
Matter. The album follows up the group's acclaimed 2013 effort,
When the Night. As with that album,
Matter showcases the talents of lead singer/songwriter Jean-Philip Grobler, who has expanded
St. Lucia from a solo effort into a full-fledged band. In many ways,
Matter picks up where
When the Night left off, with a set of anthemic songs that often sound as if they were culled from the soundtrack to an '80s John Hughes film. However, where
When the Night hewed closer to the modern indie pop of band's like
MGMT and
Foster the People, on
Matter, Grobler zeroes in on his older influences, crafting an album that's much closer to 1986 than 2016. This kind of pastel- and DayGlo-hued dance music vibe permeates all of
Matter, and cuts like "Do You Remember" and the sparkling "Dancing on Glass" showcase Grobler's highly resonant vocal chops, bringing to mind
Songs from the Big Chair-era
Tears for Fears. Similarly, tracks like "Game 4 U," "Rescue Me," and "The Winds of Change," mix pulsing keyboards and crystalline guitar lines much in the same way band's like
the Fixx and
Duran Duran did in their prime. That said, while Grobler certainly displays an obvious love for vintage new wave and synth pop, these songs wouldn't be as compelling if they weren't crafted as well as they are. Ultimately,
Matter is an uplifting, hooky album that makes synthy, '80s romance sound as fresh as ever. [
Matter was also released on LP.] ~ Matt Collar