Search - Brothertiger :: Future Splendors

''Future Splendors'' is the nostalgic, new ten-track album from synth-pop darling, Brothertiger. The follow-up to his debut, ''Golden Years,'' steps up on every conceivable front. The luxurious synth and production work is intricate and enveloping, the melodies and lyrics are undeniably strong, and the vocals are notably confident, yielding the best Brothertiger songs to date. Beholden to purest eighties synth-pop, the album operates as a collection of cinematic moments, drowned in glowing neon. Whether it's the pop-grandeur of lead single, ''In Mind'' or the arpeggiated synth bass and dancefloor tested drum kit that sneaks into the title track, ''Future Splendors'' delivers again and again as an homage to the never-ending summers of youth. John Jagos, the brain behind and sole member of Brothertiger, doesn't aspire to be anything other than himself. His tunes are ostensibly ''chillwave,'' but with a sparkling melodic sense that sets them apart from other artists under that umbrella. Since the project's beginning during Jagos' freshman year at Ohio University, Brothertiger has developed a nuanced sound that attempts to blend the human and animal elements suggested by its name. As a live performer in the Athens house party scene, he's gained a reputation for intense joyfulness. Recorded, his songs are more precious, with details and ideas that only reveal themselves with repeated listens. Buoyed by his voice - which contains both adult timbre and youthful disposition - Jagos' songs combine layered, interweaving electronics with warm, satisfying melodies. He's been releasing them at a fever pitch, earning favorable press from places like Pitchfork Media and The Fader while preparing his first full length less than two years after he began. Yet even with this gathering momentum, Brothertiger maintains a personal humility and unassuming nature that echoes the subtle exuberance of his music.