Peppermint Heaven has been crafting their retro-futurism style and innovating on the possibilities of the new wave genre for over a decade now. In that time, they’ve been far from formulaic.
On their new record, Revolutions, L.A. duo Juno and Spark take the glossy, 80s-tinged synthpop they’re known for, and free it to morph into new sonic shapes. Sometimes, this makes for soaring anthems; elsewhere, heartfelt, easy-going bops. Always, though, it carries an unmistakable shimmer.
Off the bat, no energy is wasted on the track ‘Summer Revolution’, punchy, danceable and a party from the very first moment. Next, the journey moves through the spacious and ridiculously catchy ‘Superman’ and smiling ‘Fall In Love Again’. These first three tracks set the tone, creating the box ready for Peppermint Heaven to think outside of it.
Detours through the left-field ‘Stay In The Season’, part late-night jam session, part auditory exploration. The effortless and polished ‘All In A Dream’ sits alongside that track in its fresh direction for the band. They share, “Stay In The Season and All In A Dream go in different directions musically and lyrically than one would expect from us. It’s important for us to keep growing musically. Revolutions gives our fans the best of our hit-style songs along with some cutting-edge, more adventurous songs. Give it a spin!”
All too soon, we’re approaching the end of our half-hour, eight-track journey, with the doo-wop flow and brassy stabs of ‘Give Me A Reason’ and the tropical evening romance of ‘Never Gonna Let You Go’ guiding us by the hand into the final track.
The EP ends with the no-holds-barred, fierce and fast ‘Nothing More Than Love’, with a dynamic, thumping kick drum, sparkling synth arpeggios, and charging out into space at full capacity.
What makes Revolutions special goes far beyond its retro glow, its mix of Beach Boys harmony, Daft Punk sound design and New Order homage. There’s an aliveness to it, an adaptability from track to track that brings the band into the room with you, one with the performance.
Since its debut, Peppermint Heaven has racked up over 22 million listeners across Spotify and TikTok, making clear the palatability of their adventurous nature. It’s the soundtrack of a glittered summer, but also of two accomplished musicians continuing to push themselves, without forgetting to have fun.
Listen to ‘Revolutions’ for yourself here…
