image courtesy of PreCog

by Joe Szilvagyi, Contributing Blogger

Album Review of PreCog: Are We Lost?

Throbbing synthesized bass, drum machines, and clean keyboards work together to create a rich texture that is comforting for fans of late ’80s synthpop. The press material included with the recording suggests a similarity to Depeche Mode, but I put it closer to the synthwave movement that came later including acts like Clan of Xymox or VNV Nation.

image courtesy of PreCog

It’s impressive to know that Gerald Josef and Jason Thomas just met each other at the tail end of 2015 and managed to record their entire 14-song album in a single month. They even managed to produce a slick music video for one of their strongest songs, “Little Evil.” These two clearly inspire and push each other when developing material.

In the tradition of the synthwave movement, the lyrics revolve around various struggles, either with inner demons or the world around us. This is also where the album is a bit dated and flat. While the lyrics are typical of the genre, the singsong presentation of the lyrics feels like a college paper discussing feelings rather than some deeply held conviction. In the end, the listener is enveloped with a comfortable experience that really doesn’t introduce much new to the genre.

There’s a lot of talent here and Gerald and Jason are clearly well-versed in how to produce music. I look forward to hearing what PreCog has to share in the future as the friendship between this duo ferments and their sound continues to develop.

You can find PreCog on Facebook here.

[Update: Thanks to PreCog for pointing out to us that the video  for “Little Evil” was fan-made. In many ways, that makes it even cooler! -GW]