This is the debut album for the Synth Pop project Agency X, a duo featuring Lars Wallden from the Swedish duo Avant Garde combined with the vocals of the American solo artist David Mahr. ‘Mission Impossible’ is as you would expect from this duo a release that is heavily influenced by Erasure and the work in general of one Vincent Clarke, light-n-bright purist Synth Pop wrote by Wallden and following on nicely from the two classic albums from Avant Garde. Here we are treated to 10 tracks and 40 minutes of pure and perfect analogue Synth Pop with the addition of the excellent vocals of David Mahr. The album is also nicely packaged in a sleeve and booklet with a colourful 50s animation design.
As you would also expect from this duo, there are many excellent tracks here, you really will be spoilt for choice in simply picking out your favourite track/s, from the more up tempo tracks like the opening ‘S.O.S (On The Radio) to ‘New World’, ‘Happy Together’ and with a slightly heavier edge ‘Right By Your Side’ to the more mid-paced ‘Catch Me’, ‘Separate Lives’ the title track ‘Mission Impossible’ and ‘At The End Of The Day’ which swings along nicely to the darker ‘Western Sky’ and of course there is the fantastic single ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’. ‘Mission Impossible’ is simply stunning and superb; in no time it will easily become a Synth Pop classic :-)
This project was an excellent idea and has worked extremely well to the extent that we have been graced with the release of both ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ and especially this excellent album, an album that will no doubt please the Synth Pop purists and will easily be among the top Synth Pop albums to be released this year. We can only hope that there will be further releases and especially albums from this duo. It is also more than welcome in this day and age to see pure and undiluted Synth Pop like this still be released, long may it continued, least not collectively or separately from this duo.
RATING: 10
Artist Link: http://www.deliciousrecords.com
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