PRIZM – All Night (album review)

30 Aug

It’s release week for the PRIZM ladies, with their debut album ‘All Night’ arriving via the ever reliable FiXT Neon label on 4 September. ‘All Night’ is an appropriate title for an album which is very much a party record but one which perhaps happened circa 1987.  That said this is not strictly a synthwave record – several tracks (like ‘Lose You’) sit as well alongside the modern pop of Carly Rae Jepsen or Tove Lo as they do The Midnight or NINA.

The title track has some brat pop elements drawing comparisons to Icona Pop or Holychild. Recent single ‘Disco Biscuit’ is Danni and Krisluv’s Studio 54 moment, as the title suggests, where they spin around their glitterball to great effect.

The strongest synthwave moment occurs on ‘We Were Young’ which is a proper nostalgia inducing pastel pop moment.

On ‘You Should Know’ it’s the Miami dance pop of Exposé which is the reference point. Whilst ‘Can’t Bring Me Down’ is Debbie Gibson meets Dagny. The duo really nail the power pop sound of Maria Vidal (they need to cover ‘Body Rock’!) or the dear departed Laura Branigan on ‘Move Me’.

‘Can’t Go Back’ is the truest 80s track right down to the intro which could so easily be the start to a Kim Wilde classic – right down to the Ricky Wilde-esque backing vocals and rocking guitar solo.

They also play with squelchy electrofunk on ‘Closer’ which is the nearest they come to a slow dance moment – indeed the energy levels remain high throughout.

All in all a record richer for the diverse pop influences but massively fun at all turns and executed superbly. The vocals are crisp and clear whilst the production is never too much. One to play alongside the raft of incredible female led pop albums 2020 has gifted us thus far (NINA, Jessie Frye, They/Live, Jessie Ware, Louise, Jessy Lanza, Dua Lipa and with Kylie and Roisin still to come!).

‘All Night’ is out on FiXT Neon on 4 September – some of the previous singles are included below

Leave a comment