Richter- Cost of Living

Despite a liberal use of electric guitar, Richter’s debut full-length is at its heart a synthpop record. The power chords and occasional acoustic strums give this album a fuller feel than you’d expect from a two-person band, but it’s just decoration; the real appeal here is the gorgeous keyboard work and slick vocal melodies. “Come Clean” is retro electro but full of warmth, and “Wish You Dead” has a nice thick sound that complements front man Jack’s clipped, upper-crust singing style. When the duo diverges from the straightforward mid-tempo synthpop formula, things get a little tricky. “Open Wide” is fast and driving, and it works out great; its mixture of guitars and modern-sounding drum programming is comparable to anything Apoptygma Berzerk has released. “Salvation,” on the other hand, falls flat with its sentimental synthesizers and flat vocals, while “Dirty Prophet” aims for righteous anger but can only muster a sort of halfhearted bitchiness. Still, programmer and sound engineer Lizz Andrykew has done a great job on the production, and the songwriting is catchy even during its weaker moments. This album has a great mixture of old school and contemporary synthpop styles and reveals some real talent.

Visit Jack and Lizz online at www.richtermusic.com