Port of Est - Onyx Moon (Delphinium Music)

Onyx Moon is the debut album by electronic pop group Port of Est.; a duo from Portland, Maine. As ambitious as it is bold, Onyx Moon is a dark and infectiously melodic slice of synthpop. Rather than drowning in histrionics and sludge-like gloom, the darkwave influences serve more as a tempestuous, atmospheric foil to a sound that at its core is nothing short of pop. Hannah Tarkinson’s breathy vocals are stylistically similar to the impressionistic qualities of artists like Bjork and Elizabeth Fraser, but musically the duo is closer to bands like early Clan of Xymox, Depeche Mode, and Gary Numan.

The two lead singles taken from the album, “Valentine In My Headphones” and “CLASH,” perfectly represent the two facets of this group—the dark, pulsating pop of the former, and the experimental, stormy ambiance of the latter. The band is at its greatest when producing this fantastically dreamy indie pop, but the more experimental songs like “Collide” only further illustrate where they’re coming from and what makes them tick. Onyx Moon is a captivating and cohesive debut from a group that seems to have immediately found their footing. The album is out April 26th on the band’s own label, Delphinium Music.