GOLD029: THE SOUND OF ARROWS

Over the years, we've gotten real familiar with Swedish pop heroes The Sound of Arrows. They were the face of our first widescreen 12" release back in 2009, and now two years later they've readied their debut full-length, Voyages, for launch. As true auteurs of the pop music medium, Stefan Storm and Oskar Gullstrand have crafted a flawless aesthetic, from the cinematic grandeur of their music to their visually stunning music videos. The Swedish maestros have their euphoric formula down to a science, and Voyages sits comfortably among our absolute favorite albums of the year. In our opinion The Sound of Arrows are simultaneously the most impressive and exciting thing to happen to pop music in recent memory, so it's with great pleasure that we announce our next release, a special edition AA-side 12" celebrating our two favorite cuts from the album, "Wonders" and Conquest".

All pulsing, skyscraping synths and bittersweet vocals, "Wonders" simmers in a magic cauldron of nostalgia, as Stefan Storm's heart-piercing refrain lights up the mic and stardust showers from the ceiling like confetti. Then it's time for "Conquest" to shine, turning in the performance of a lifetime in the record's best supporting single role. Coming off like Royksopp on a sugar high, "Conquest" churns along as red velvet synths course through your veins and the duo rally around a triumphant chorus for the ages on what might just be our favorite track of theirs yet. Together, they'll make you feel like the last child emperor in the galaxy, like anything is possible, and it's a wonderful sense of omnipotence. The "Wonders" / "Conquest" double A-side will close out our release year on December 19th, but is available for preorder in the Neon Gold Shop now. Own the magic for yourself.

MP3: "Conquest" - The Sound of Arrows

BETTER WITH YOU.

Finland's Villa Nah first entered our lives last summer when "Ways To Be" wound up stuck on repeat on the office stereo for a solid month via their debut VN EP, yet somehow it never found it's way onto the blog. Fortunately after locking themselves in the studio for the past 10 months, the group are back with their debut album, Origin, and "Ways To Be" is back in our lives for good. Out now via Moshi Moshi on an AA-side 7" with the equally brilliant "Running On" on the flipside, the track is one of the best of the year, all synthesized 80's melancholy and timeless pop songwriting. Connoisseurs of haunting electronic pop, Villa Nah join the likes of Royksopp, The Knife and Kleerup as they evolve into viable heirs to the Scandinavian disco throne, and "Ways To Be" - already crowned Song of the Year at Finland's Dance Awards last month - is a massive first step in the right direction.

MP3: "Ways To Be" - Villa Nah

CONFUSION ALL AROUND.

Today is a day of giving thanks, and here at Neon Gold we've certainly had a lot to be thankful for over the past year. Most recently though it's been Monarchy, whose debut single we'll have the honor of releasing on Neon Gold next February. We've already blogged the brilliant A-side "Gold In The Fire", but in the spirit of Thanksgiving we've got the B-side to share with you as well. "Black The Colour of My Heart" is all dramatic Royksopp-esque synth washes and Timbaland-style drum loops that draw you in before exploding into one of the biggest pop choruses of the year. It's only the second offering we've heard out of the Monarchy camp, but it's yet another reason they're being tipped left and right for massive things in the year to come. And no, we still don't know who they are either.

MP3: "Black The Colour of My Heart" - Monarchy