Ever since he traded (metaphorically) lopping off people’s heads with machete-like riffs as a member of the always missed LaFaro for the sleeker, smoother synth-based realm of electronic soundscapes, Arvo Party (AKA Herb Magee) has been a man on a mission. Feverishly foisting a veritable truckload of tunes our way over the last couple of years, each release helps ensure that this new chapter in the Bushmills bred artist’s life is an exciting one.

Not content with already unleashing a brace of beautiful albums this year (March’s Love Above All and May’s Devotions) Herb is slipping on his best leg warmers and letting his Lockdown mullet fly free for the ‘80s-inspired Passenger. The seeds for the eight-song strong opus were sewn when Magee decided to write some tunes informed by guilty pleasures and the resulting record has more bangers than a Jonesborough market stall during Hallowe’en season.

Lead single ‘Wonderview Avenue’ serves as an excellent scene setter for the LP and is the kinda track you could see the kids from Stranger Things rocking out to when they’re not duelling with Demogorgons (or being pains in the hole...). Elsewhere, ‘For Whitney’ is an alluring re-imagining of the ‘80s power ballad, while ‘American Spirits’ is haunted by the ghosts of Daniel Larusso and the ‘Boys Of Summer.’

Passenger is now available to purchase at arvoparty.bandcamp.com and Arvo Party is donating 100% of proceeds from sales of this and his entire discography to the US Bail Funds and MASI (Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland) for the foreseeable future – so you’ve no excuse not to buy everything.