The Black Neon Arts & Crafts

• Words: Patrick Sisson
• Label: Memphis Industries-Arts & Crafts

English label Memphis Industries has built a reputation for cavity-causing pop, be it the spazzed-out, sample-heavy cheerleading of The Go! Team or the matching skirts and girl-group sounds of The Pipettes. The Black Neon, the project of ‘stache-rocking solo artist Steve Webster, hits a chronological midpoint between its labelmates, aping aspects of the droning, psychedelic music of the ‘70s and ‘80s-like a jam session between Neu! and Brian Wilson. Webster builds repetitive, shimmering lines out of science filmstrip-style synths while harmonies of a more psychedelic persuasion creep throughout the tightly constructed album.