Local Review: Tape Glow – Bright at Midnight

Tape Glow
Bright at Midnight

Self-Released
Street: 02.21
Tape Glow = Com Truise + Boy Harsher + Taking Back Sunday 

Tape Glow is quite the mystery: One member is located in Oklahoma, and the other is from our very own Salt Lake City. The duo describes their music as ’80s new wave/pop, and let me tell you, with the dark, neon city skyline as the cover, Bright At Midnight gave itself away.

The vocals were the first thing I noticed off the EP. It first took me back to my teenage years, as there’s an angst in the singers’ voice that is heard through their lyrics as well. There’s a roughness to the voice, and I can’t help but feel as though they’re straining their pipe to hit the highest notes. It’s consistent throughout each track, and it had to grow on me before I accepted it for what it is.

The milky electronic chords on the track “Where Wires Fail to Meet” are enticing. These sounds caught my attention because of the wavy textures they provide. This is also one where the vocals feel forced because of how abruptly they first come in. There are multiple vocal changes and it flows great. My favorite part is when the singer begins to sound far off at the 2:34 minute mark. It completes the song.

“Continue?” is my favorite track here, because the title is exactly what it sounds like. The beat is subdued and tempestuous. It made me feel as if I passed a level in a video game that left me staring at the screen and deciding if I should go forth or not. “Continue?” is the last track on the EP, yet the title includes a question mark which almost feels foretelling that there’s more to come.

Bright At Midnight is an interesting listen and a welcome addition to the retrowave canon. It’s not something I’d listen to every day, but it definitely grew on me. It let me get lost in my own thoughts in a good way. It takes you back to the ’80s, and it took me on a nice night drive around the city. Tape Glow perfectly deliver their calming, feel-good synths to the audience. They are firmly new wave/pop, just as they state. It feels like something you’d hear playing in the late night hours at Twilite Lounge. –Kimberly Portillo