Building upon the synth-pop beauty of 2019’s Time To Kill, Body of Light’s Bitter Reflection finds Alex and Andrew Jarson expanding their sonic palette on a journey through their own future past. A wider array of instruments and perfectly timed instrumentals create an album you can lose yourself in. For those of us who keep feeling fascination with the first wave of synth-pop, Body of Light offer enough touchstones to feel genuinely connected to the distant era but there is no mistaking Bitter Reflection for an exercise in nostalgia.
Depeche Mode fans will instantly gravitate to “Get It Right” and “This Conversation” with their electronic drums echoing the first three Depeche records. However, the album also offer some lush ballads such as “Bitter Reflection” which wouldn’t be out of place on a Spandau Ballet album. It’s refreshing to see a younger band dismantle expectations and paint with some color. The fretless bass and saxophone on “Never Ever” push them even further than the obvious synth-pop touchstones.
Produced with Joshua Eustis, the band creates beautifully dense songs like the Tears For Fears-reminiscent “No Repose” without the music getting bogged down in the mix. More ambitious in its scope than Time To Kill, Bitter Reflection might not offer the quick rush of sweet nostalgia for fans of 80s synth-pop but it’s a slow burning experience than doesn’t wear off quite as quickly. The band’s musical evolution from 2016’s Let Me Go makes for an excellent listening experience as you watch two artists transform their influences into their own distinct identity and Bitter Reflection is some great reward.