Feb 16, 2023
By Caleb Campbell
Over the past few years, indie singer/songwriter Oliver Marson has been sharing a steady string of singles, conjuring a decadent style of synth pop layered with crooned vocals, sardonic charm, and off-kilter melodicism. Recalling both Alex Cameron’s cocaine sleaze and the sophisticated pop strut of bands like Pulp or Sparks, Marson has occupied a unique centerpoint in the landscape of ‘80s nostalgia, offering a more thoughtful and political bent to his synth-laden waltzes.
That political inspiration ran deep within his last single, “Blue Dreams,” but today Marson is going in a slightly different direction with another new track, “Past Life,” premiering with Under the Radar.
“Past Life” forgoes much of the political subtext of Marson’s latest singles, instead diving into a meditation on longing and memory. Marson’s trademark croon comes through as strong as ever, but here he is surrounded by a churning bass groove and shadowy melodies, bringing to mind the gothic pop romanticism of The Cure. The track’s lyrics find Marson at the precipice of a new love, feeling certain of a deep elemental connection, but plagued by doubts and uncertainty一“I met someone new last night / Thought I’d seen them before / But that’s impossible / When she left she looked just like someone that I had known / In a past life / But that’s impossible.”
Marson explains of the track, “Past life is a bit different to the other songs I have released. It’s less about making a statement and more about singing from the heart. I wrote the song just after lockdown ended. I was finally able to meet someone new after going through quite a bit of personal heartbreak after a tough break up during the lockdown. The song kind of has this cosmic feeling about reincarnation and being haunted by the past, but about trying to heal and the excitement in that”.
Check out the song below. Marson’s debut album is due out later this year.