Another great surprise on the synthpop scene comes from Nashville, Tennessee. They are called The Sweetest Condition and their debut album Edge of the World is out this year . The duo consisting of Jason Reed Milner [Music + Synths] and Leslie Irene Benson [Lyrics + Vocals] takes the listeners on a grand voyage into sythpop conceived on the influences from the ’80s synth era and a bit of industrial touch, but personally I would add indie pop to this mix of labels. However, the duo is experimenting with all those influences and creating their own statement.
What makes this album a whole package is a strong dancy beat that they are unwilling to abandon throughout the album, and this give it a great dance floor quality. They go straight to the point of dance sythpop music giving you some time to rest only on the second half of the album, and even then not for long.
Beyond the Blue leads you into the rest of the album, but this song can best be described as an optimistic synthpop vibrant danceable track, giving us some positive vibes both musically and lyrically. Leslie’s voice is as straight and direct as the message the music and lyrics are creating, adding to the strength of their expression, but at the same time displaying a lot of emotions. More of the emotions come out on the track that follows, Control, which flirts with some ’80s sound elements, but with slightly softer beats, leaving the melody to take “control”. I am more drawn to the powerful female alto voices that are sometimes considered as being less able to carry a tune, but Leslie proves that to be wrong whit her capacity for great vocal performance, as she does again on another hit of theirs, Fall in Line. The similar feel continues in Miles Away, a perfect sequence to the previous track. A bit harsher atmosphere is achieved on Now and Secret, again flirting with some ’80s influences. This Poison and The War is Over show that The Sweetest Condition have their mellower and softer side, being more contemplative songs and a bit of a needed break from the up tempo tracks, so the diversity is definitely brought in with these two songs. Personally, Try is one of my favourite tracks, everything seems to fall into place, and since I see it as emotionally the strongest, I consider it to be an original signature of this duo, even though you may need to listen to it more than once to soak up its feel to the fullest; but those are usually the songs that catch my attention the most. Watch You Fall is bringing back the power of the first half of the album, maybe to remind the listener of the whole experience. Without You, another slower track but no less powerful is leaving the listener with some heavier thoughts as Leslie is suggestive in her lyrics. This final track sends an emotional message that can linger with us as we come to the end of exploring this wonderful and very sincere piece of their artwork.
TRACK LISTING:
01. Beyond the Blue
02. Control
03. Fall in Line
04. Miles Away
05. Now
06. Secret
07. This Poison
08. Try
09. The War is Over
10. Watch You Fall
11. Without You
EDGE OF THE WORLD (2015) – 11-song Debut Album:
Edge of the World ℗ © The Sweetest Condition 2015
(All lyrics and vocals written by Leslie Benson 2012–2015; all music composed by Jason Reed Milner and Leslie Benson, 2012–2015).
Album Release Date: Aug. 28, 2015
Label: Independent; Distribution: Indie
Enjoy the video for “Now”!
