Appalling Human＜限定盤＞

Having made the leap to solo work with 2017s delightfully eclectic Excellent Musician, former Lets Wrestle frontman Wesley Gonzalez works himself into a smart-pop frenzy on his synth-heavy follow-up, Appalling Human. That the Londoners first two albums are titled Excellent Musician and Appalling Human should say something about his sense of humor, but his intelligence and emotive range extend well beyond mere irony. On his first outing, Gonzalez more or less abandoned the guitar, which had been his primary tool since starting Lets Wrestle at the age of 15. Writing instead for the piano, his approach shifted more distinctly toward a mix of 70s-inspired singer/songwriter pop and a nimble mixture of new wave and power pop with synths and saxophones decorating the arrangements. On Appalling Human, he takes his keyboard obsession a step further, lighting up the 12 tracks with a barrage of glimmering synths and drum machines that are sometimes jarring in their sizzling glare. Armed with a band that includes indie pop songstress Rose Elinor Dougall on backing vocals, Joe Chilton on bass, Callum Duffy on keyboards, and Bobby Voltaire on drums, Gonzalez weaves his snaky melodies around glitzy dancefloor bangers like Tried to Tell Me Something and If Im Sad, evoking the early-80s synth pop heyday but sounding like a melodic descendant of Andy Partridge. Further echoes of XTCs influence come out on cuts like Girl, Youre My Family Now and Used to Love You, and his bold vocal delivery is vaguely reminiscent of Partridges. The LPs tone feels deliberately grandiose and it doesnt always land, but there are plenty of highlights to be found like the excellent Change and Friend at First, which reveal what a sharp songwriter Gonzalez is. ~ Timothy Monger