Sonic Anonymous is positioned as ‘weird, existential, late-night synth pop for the burnt-out generation’. Here on Be Good Tonight, we have an introspective piece dealing with grief and fatigue.
Opening with a single extended chord, Be Good Tonight gradually surfaces, like something emerging from water, uncovering hushed falsetto vocals and a gritty electronic bass line tinged with acid. Cinematic synth washes combine with steely guitar sounds to create a futuristic, emotive soundscape. Produced by two-times Grammy nominee Tomas Morton, and mastered by Joe LaPorta, the sound on display here is refined, and subtle — brimming with polish, economic in what it achieves with relatively little.
Adding to the sense of emotion, the song itself is positioned as a posthumous plea to the artist’s late brother. Having served in the military, he ended up homeless in Las Vegas as a veteran, passing away as the result of an overdose. The lyrics are a stream of consciousness, something Sonic Anonymous describes as ‘as fever-dream loop of intrusive thoughts’. In his own words, he describes the song as ‘…Turning a private tragedy into a heavy, late-night anthem for the emotionally exhausted’.
The sound here invokes the kind of blissed out electronics I love — emotionally reflective lyrics and a blend of Junior Boys, Underworld, and (stay with me) The Blue Nile. Check out Be Good Tonight below.
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