Synth-pop duo And The Echo returns with And The Echo II ("Album II"), the brilliant follow-up to their outstanding 2016 self-titled debut album. Based in Oxford, Mississippi, the band is comprised of Winn McElroy and Morgan Pennington, who have been making music together for the past three years. And The Echo II is testament to how well this duo continues to create impressive, melodic tunes with strong, shining vocals, and such tight and polished synth production throughout.
The lead track, "The Blind Ones", was released in late January as the preview single for the album. With uplifting melody, and Morgan's smooth, crisp vocals, this engaging track really showcases the impressive, well-balanced aspects of And The Echo's superb songwriting and production. An accompanying music video for this track is in the works, so keep an eye out for that.
My favorite track is "Breathe", with delicate, deep, bass-resonating synths that guide this lovely track from start to finish. Think early 80's analog synths - that's the atmosphere here. The song is perfectly produced - and most importantly, not over-produced. The melody throughout is ultra-catchy, and the mix steadily blends additional layers of harmony in Morgan's vocals, resulting in a truly entrancing listening experience.
The remaining tracks on the album present a variety of synth-pop musical styles, including the upbeat "I Am" (that's vocally reminiscent of Book of Love), the darker sounding "Ghosts, Pt. 2", and the short, two-minute long "Seratonin" (with sparse atmosphere, well-placed synths, and clean, crisp vocals). The album's closing track is the energetic, club-sounding "Aliens", a nicely done three-minute track that will definitely make you want to get up and hit the dance floor.
For more information about And The Echo, check out their official website, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and find their music on Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music.