Back in 2018 we listed The Bad Dreamers as our number 1 top newcomer to retrosynth when it came time to do lists. Even though it’s been months since its release, their breakout debut album “Songs About People Including Myself” is still continually making waves in the retro scene …so we decided it’s time for a review!
Although he is perhaps new to the synth scene, the brains behind The Bad Dreamers is anything but new to music. David Schuler is in fact a Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer/filmmaker, having worked on songs with P!nk, New Politics, and John Legend. The Bad Dreamers project actually came about when Schuler needed music for the short film “The Offer” – and soon he had enough material for an album.
What really sets “Songs About People Including Myself” apart is its approach to the retro sound. Essentially, the album has all the 80’s nostalgia without the neon gridlines guiding the music into stale repetition or mediocrity.
Instead of the synth taking the spotlight, instead we hear a ton of lush emphasis on the vocals – vocals which seem to be pulled straight from modern pop pantheon acts like The 1975 and St. Lucia. This creates an astounding hyper-gloss meld of pop and retrowave reminiscent to The Midnight, or Michael Oakley. (In true The Midnight fashion, he’s also released the album sans-vocals for all the synth heads out there!)
In addition to this new take on synthpop elements, the rest of the production is also top-notch. Deceivingly pithy hooks, crisp melodies and perfection production all come together to make this album an unforgettable step in music evolution – pushing the boundaries of what synthpop can be.
Top tracks: “Hit Me Harder,” “California Winter,” and “The Meaning of Life”
Check out the album below!
Songs About People Including Myself by The Bad Dreamers
