Minute Taker Delivers High Concept Synthpop on Majestic LP ‘Wolf Hours’

Minute Taker delighted us with his single After the Rain featuring Bright Light Bright Light and now musician Ben McGarvey does so again with full album Wolf Hours. The collection of melodic synthpop anthems draws inspiration from genre luminaries Pet Shop Boys, a-Ha and Soft Cell across its eleven song line-up.

Minute Taker shares: “I wanted the album to kind of feel like the sonic equivalent of going through a box of old stuff you find in the loft; full of the comfort and mystique of childhood nostalgia, but a bit warped and degraded over time.” A child of the eighties, Minute Taker drew inspiration from classics of the era including The NeverEnding Story, Batteries Not Included and Labyrinth for the album’s rich and strikingly beautiful imagery.

The Wolf Hours occur late at night when our repressed thoughts and memories inform our dreams and these are masterfully explored throughout the collection. The dark, brooding synths of Lead You Home open the album, although a sense of optimism permeates throughout the powerful emotive vocals as Minute Taker sings “Let the music lead you home…” Bouncing Yello inspired synths follow on Hearts (We’ll Never Know), a spellbinding dance into the urges of the subconscious. The ethereal charm of Not Afraid follows taking us through a twinkling, transporting soundscape.

With dreamy Ultravox inspired vocals in its opening, 500 Breakups delivers pounding euphoric synthpop production as it navigates the world of heartbreak. Funky-basslines and rippling synths populate The Darkest Summer, whilst haunting vocals shine against intricate electronic production on Harm. Megan McDuffee duet Mirror impresses, crafting a Gothic period love story with impassioned vocals and empowering synths. Nostalgia delivers spacey retro-soaked video game vibes and would feel perfectly at home (like all these tracks) as the soundtrack to an eighties cinematic treat.

After the Rain fits beautifully into the world of Wolf Hours thanks to its pulsating baseline, elegant piano and smooth synths alongside charming vocals from both Minute Taker and Bright Light Bright Light. The sparse and melancholic production of A Crowd of Ghosts leads on from this and impresses with a beautiful piano melody in its final moments. Album closer Wild Things is the perfect final note, a track which captures the sweeping transporting power and emotion of synthpop, laced with dark melancholy, nostalgia and sophistication – three traits that Minute Taker perfectly exemplifies on Wolf Hours.

See the full tracklist below:

1. Lead You Home 
2. Hearts (We’ll Never Know) 
3. Not Afraid 
Interlude 1
4. 500 Breakups 
5. The Darkest Summer 
6. Harm 
Interlude 2
7. Mirror (Duet with Megan McDuffee) 
8. Nostalgia 
9. After The Rain (Feat. Bright Light Bright Light) 
10. A Crowd of Ghosts
11. Wild Things

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