Light Asylum (New LP)

Label: DFA Records

Light Asylum's debut LP came out in 2012, a time before streaming really gained critical mass and before vinyl came back in a big way. It was a weird in-between era, like both the recent past and ancient history.History has been kind to Light Asylum. For one, whatever limited vinyl copies were pressed in the initial run fetch stupid prices on Discogs. And the critical shrug that welcomed its release now seems irrelevant. This is top-notch, black-clad, spiritually punishing synth-pop, perfectly and carefully programmed and soaring on the back of lead singer Shannon Funchess' superhuman voice.Side A, with rampages like "IPC," is heavier and faster than Side B, which opens with a slow, serene, goosebump-inducing track titled "Angel Tongue" and finished with the near ecstatic "A Certain Person."