Chilldown synth pop isn't usually my bag. I'm a sucker for a good melody, but sharp edges are much more my style. Meet Me in Orbit has named itself perfectly, infusing soaring hooks with a spaced-out feel.

Meet Me in Orbit Traveller EP (Sky Council)

But for all the languid loucheness of the melodies themselves, the rhythms underneath burble at a nice pace. If you remember the Lightning Seeds, then this will be a fine echo--and refinement. Because while most of these sounds come from the late 70s and early 80s (Tangerine Dream is also a definite antecedent), Meet Me in Orbit adds a 2010s dissoluteness to the sound.

I could be writing the same things about something I don't like, which is why I've struggled so much to understand why this set appeals to me so much. I think it's simply that the songs are beautifully crafted and arranged, and the hooks set. The sound seems to be soft, but there is a bite in there after all.

Absolutely intoxicating. These songs arrest from the first sounds, and they stand up to multiple listens. I've spent a lot more time with these five songs than I usually do with stuff I review. And even after extended poking and prodding, I'm not finding any holes. Wonderful stuff.

Jon Worley