At this point, the '80s nostalgia craze has lasted longer than the actual decade did, but Toronto-based trio Rapport prove that there's still plenty of fun to be had in synth-kissed throwback pop.
Their debut EP, In the Dark, mixes the dreamy confections of a John Hughes soundtrack with the fashionable smoothness of (former) Arbutus Records label-mates TOPS. Amidst twinkling synth strings and playfully upbeat grooves, singer Maddy Wilde (formerly of Moon King and Spiral Beach) coos sugar-sweet bubblegum hooks, occasionally evoking the fine-tuned twee of Life Pursuit-era Belle and Sebastian.
The EP's outlier is "Whatever You Want," a curious slice of electro-funk sung featuring a rush of thudding drum machines and sci-fi synths straight outta Gary Numan's "Cars." There's also a momentary curveball in the beautifully soaring finale "Unconscious," when Wilde's voice suddenly rises to an impassioned shout that's closer to post-punk than the soft-focus cuteness Rapport usually favour.
Which is to say that In the Dark does what any debut EP should: offer a concise, addictive introduction to the band's sound while also hinting at intriguing directions they could take in the future.
(Arbutus Records)Their debut EP, In the Dark, mixes the dreamy confections of a John Hughes soundtrack with the fashionable smoothness of (former) Arbutus Records label-mates TOPS. Amidst twinkling synth strings and playfully upbeat grooves, singer Maddy Wilde (formerly of Moon King and Spiral Beach) coos sugar-sweet bubblegum hooks, occasionally evoking the fine-tuned twee of Life Pursuit-era Belle and Sebastian.
The EP's outlier is "Whatever You Want," a curious slice of electro-funk sung featuring a rush of thudding drum machines and sci-fi synths straight outta Gary Numan's "Cars." There's also a momentary curveball in the beautifully soaring finale "Unconscious," when Wilde's voice suddenly rises to an impassioned shout that's closer to post-punk than the soft-focus cuteness Rapport usually favour.
Which is to say that In the Dark does what any debut EP should: offer a concise, addictive introduction to the band's sound while also hinting at intriguing directions they could take in the future.