Don’t let their origins fool you. While the accurately tagged New Duo comprises Scott Stapleton of Phosphorescent and Matthew Walker of Brooklyn’s psych-pop group Dead Dream, their collective music boasts none of the sleepy haze that their separate groups adore. In fact, “Let Me Go,” is everything but sleepy: Wired, eerie, and club-ready, the track recalls an ’80s prom nightmare, big hair and all. Stapleton’s mustache and aviators in the neon-colored video don’t help to quell the nostalgia much, either.
Like the best of old New Order, the track blooms via a drum loop and a heavy bass line, somehow swelling into something aggressive. In the end, however, it’s a simple plea, repeated to infinity, just like the instruments beneath — “Why don’t you let me go?” The tears-on-the-dance-floor recipe suits New Duo as well as it does genre masterminds like ABBA and Robyn.
Watch the video below, and look out for the group’s self-titled album on September 30.
