RANDOM SIGHTS + SOUNDS

I am feeling some comfort in the synthpop sounds from the 1980's right now and here are a few of my favorites that take me back to the seemingly simplier, calmer days of my youth:

With marital woes, financial problems, personal health issues and a popular reality show involving her family drama, Toni Braxton has had many distractions over the years that has prevented her from creating the smooth r&b that first brought her fame and acclaim. In 2018, the singer finally returned to music with "Sex & Cigarettes" (her first in eight years) and the album received a rapturous response which was in part due to the hit single, "Long As I Live". The song reached number one on the US Adult R&B Songs chart and earned Braxton three Grammy Award nominations including Best R&B Album. Now the fifty-two year old vocalist is back with an upcoming album and a second single is now out, simply called "Dance". The track (set to a disco beat) is another classic Braxton staple about catching a cheating partner but instead of being upset, will simply dance her troubles away. The music video has Braxton impressively keeping up with her back-up dancers and there is even a remix of "Dance" from Dave Audé that pushes the throbbing beat even further. Braxton's tenth studio album, "Spell My Name"  is due out at the end of the month.

And here are a couple of recent songs from two artists I enjoy who also happen to bring an openly queer perspective to their music; Orville Peck, the mysterious country artist does a twangy cover of Bronski Beat's 1984 gay anthem, "Smalltown Boy" that retains the original's moving power. The British nu-disco performer who goes by the inventive moniker, Bright Light, Bright Light (real name, Rod Thomas) has the song, "I Used To Be Cool" with the video offering a decidedly different take on summer romance.