Adventure - Lesser Known

Adventure is the work of Baltimore resident and Wham City associate Benny Boeldt. Not familiar with his 2008 self-titled debut but from what I've heard of 'Lesser Known' I'm confident that this lad's got the skills. Boeldt looks to 80's music and video game culture for his influences and, as a result, 'Lesser Known' sounds like a retro-futurist wet dream. It's all power synths, light vocals, bright melodies and a spades of Human League style melodies. Opening instrumental 'Open Door' is an instant favourite thanks to it's bold synth arrangement, early Madonna style bassline and rad beats. As the record progresses vocalists begin to dominate the tracks giving 'Lesser Known' a more authentic U.K. 80's pop vibe, which I'm not entirely sure about. It works in context, but it also kinda dates the tracks too, whereas the instrumentals sound timeless and other-worldly. That's not meant as harsh criticism though - I like this stuff a lot! The synths are sugar-sweet, the beats are textured and well considered and the subtle use of SID chip tones add texture and character to these authentic synthpop efforts. 'Lesser Known' has really lifted my spirits and bought a smile to my face which is about as much as I can ask for at work on a Wednesday afternoon. Cheers Adventure! Oh, It's way, way better than the recent Human League LP, which is odd 'cause it's basically a total rip-off of their sound.