14 Best Synthwave Albums You MUST Listen To
7. Lazerhawk - Skull And Shark (2013)
Like Kavinsky, Lazerhawk is considered one of the main forerunners in the synthwave explosion at the beginning of the current decade.
And it's not hard to see why, with 2013's Skull and Shark being a veritable banger of an album. If Outrun is considered the pop synthwave album of that year, then S&S would be the Hyde to its Jekyll. Considerably darker and heavier in tone, it pairs perfectly with Kavinsky's offering, but also stands out on its own.
Despite putting out two albums prior, with Redline and Visitors in 2010 and 2012 respectively, it was Skull and Shark that showcased Garrett "Lazerhawk" Hays as a Texan tour de force in the realm of synthwave.
Each track has that slow, foreboding pace that gradually builds into anthemic hits as they progress, much like they're psyching you up for a fist pumper of a tune as they play out. Standout track King of the Streets encapsulates this perfectly, with an accompanying video that looks like an 80's version of Drive. Which is never a bad thing, when you think about it.