Canadian duo Loveproof likes to play the long game. Ciaran Megahey and Brendan McGarvey first collaborated in 1996, but that musical alliance quickly fizzled out, and they went their separate ways until a chance encounter in 2013, which saw them rekindle their musical collaboration. Blending dream-pop, indie-rock, and dub, it took them 4 years to release their debut album, prophetically called ‘Neon Blood Vol I’. Now, a further 8 years on, they are ready to release the follow-up, and what the band describe as their magnum opus: ‘Neon Blood Volume 2’.
‘Blood Eagle’ – The album gets off to a really distinctive start – a fractured beat and echoed, distorting guitars introduce the opening track. Ciaran’s sultry vocal winds its way through the song with a delicate melody that has some beautiful flourishes – at times it feels like a vintage 80s track, whilst the backdrop is anything but. That pulsating, dub bassline throbs away relentlessly like an unstoppable tide. It’s a great opener and a bold signal – this is going to be a unique ride!
‘Midnight Sun’ – I loved the bending bass notes that seemed to melt into the track, and the crisp, rattling beat. That long snare cracks and slices through the haze. I got some serious Depeche Mode vibes here, mixed with a vocal that – at times – seems to be channelling Bryan Ferry. It’s a crazily original combination. There’s a really strong, satisfying groove, and another wonderful melody that arcs and twists with the weightless grace of smoke in the breeze. Deftly placed chord progressions elevate the emotion and impact of the track – an expert touch. Lyrically, the track breathes new life into familiar themes – here, the fact that life’s greatest meaning often comes through struggle is portrayed in devilishly cryptic ways:
From the shadows of the damned
Comes a perfect laughter
‘Mirrors’ – Awash with pads and other synth sounds tucked just below the surface, ‘Mirrors’ has a brighter, wider sound at first. Reflections from unseen walls give this an immense sound. When the beat & bass drop, they hit perfectly. Tactile guitars and a rumbling bass produce such an atmospheric flow, the vocal adding a heartbreaking melancholy with a subtly aching melody. It really gets me when Ciaran sings:
Now he will not bend or break
Now he can’t pretend his fate
Evoking Narcissus (a figure from Greek mythology, best known for tragic self-obsession) in an era of social media and mobile phone fixation, the song beautifully laments the hollow individualism of the modern age:
He found God in a mirror
While the flames were high
His sleeping soul aroused
‘Daughter Of Time’ – Smooth and warm, a simple rhythmic dub pulse envelopes this track like the hum of some unstoppable machine. A subtle, off-beat piano combines with other, strange sounds. Repeating echoes. Fantastically atmospheric, I thought this track had a quiet menace – a hidden threat existing just under the surface. The lyrics carry a weight, and are often a delicious puzzle for us to unravel:
They’re beyond the arcane
Anointed with shame
Like a Judas in Jesus’ name
When the hour is late
A legacy stained
When the weight of their claims gives way
‘This Hunger’ – A bright, repeating synth and some crisp arps give this a more optimistic, almost EDM feel at first. Once again, it’s a bold hybrid of genres that is seamlessly executed, and it’s worth pointing out that Brendan McGarvey played and programmed all the instruments on this album. I loved the grit and crunch on this track.
From a wayback machine
Nothing is quite what it seems
These streets
Couldn’t hold us for long
Every step we take
Something breaks
Avalon
As the song progresses, it’s like the ’80s are slowly seeping in through the cracks. A hushed vocal tone and a delivery that feels like a classic new-wave/art-rock standard from years gone by. Could the inclusion of the word “Avalon” (the title of a Roxy Music classic) be a tasty little easter egg by any chance?!
‘Painted Like The Sun’ – The prowling bassline underpins things here, and a plucked guitar peppers every available space. Ethereal, ghostly sounds haunt the track. Ciaran’s vocal tells another story with high-note flashes that deepen the mood.
‘The Greenest Eyes’ – Velvety smooth as ever, this rolls forward like a lava flow. Some richly analogue sounds pepper the track, adding some extra flavours. There’s a simpler elegance this time and a warm optimism to the atmospherics too – but not, I fear, to the lyrics:
This is the story of a crooked man
A little dirt goes a long way friend
A magistrate in the court of spin
He swallows souls but he’s razor thin
‘From The Trees’ – Sparse and dark, this feels like a creature emerging from its hiding place. It stalks and circles us at first, but then softens with some lighter, elegant melodic moments.
‘Night Of The Flowers’ – Bright and crisp like the morning sun, I loved the space and the depth in this track. It opens with a fleeting, distorted chime sound that is, for me, one of the defining sounds on the album. The vocal dissolves into the track like a sigh in the wind, and there are some cool reverse FX too, which give it an otherworldly edge. One of my favourite tracks, I loved the subtle synth sounds and layered melodies.
‘Untouchable’ – Panned plucks and echoes, and the most simmering, smoky vocal so far. A simple arrangement to finish the album, this lets the vocal take centre stage:
Cruel is the nature
That made them
Untouchable
Dark as a raven
What made them
The halting rhythm and the wailing sounds produce a cinematic tension that is turned on its head for the final 30 seconds of the album – it finishes with a completely new guitar melody and a suddenly incongruous, filtered broken beat. One final curveball that leaves you smiling in surprise.
‘Neon Blood Volume 2’ is a real kaleidoscope of ideas. Dub, indie, rock, dream-pop, electronic, acoustic, modern, nostalgic – it’s all fused together like colours on a wet canvas. Indeed, that fusion of indie and dub has a hypnotic, hazy texture – warm subs penetrate your bones as the slow march of those beats walks you forward, steady and unhurried. Guitars so distorted they feel like living creatures. A vocal that shapes the mood of every track.
These tracks share DNA – each is the brother of the next. Lyrically, it feels labyrinthine – unfolding like a dark novel, each line conjuring vivid pictures that burst with secret clues. Playing this album from start to finish means you are suspended between worlds – transported to places that are dark and unsettling – but strangely alluring.
Loveproof worked on some of the material for ‘Neon Blood Volume 2’ for upwards of 8 years. In numerology, 8 is often associated with balance, power, and success, so I think this is the perfect time to enjoy the end of this creative journey.
‘Neon Blood Volume 2’ will be released on December 5th.
Written by Grubby
