Planet 1999 Reach Dream-Pop Paradise on “Replay”

Planet 1999 are PC Music’s very first band. The London-based group pull from several influences, including the dream-garbling of Cocteau Twins and sounds of the U.K. electronic scene.

Their new single, “Replay,” solidifies them as a new voice in the realm of shoegaze—their distinctly bubblegum approach sounds as if the members of Cocteau Twins met in high school and played their first gig at senior prom. Lead singer Caro captures Elizabeth Fraser’s unique intonation and, like Fraser, the band have said their tracks often lack real lyrics. Instead, the group concern themselves with bottling a feeling, creating an impressionistic vision of emotion in their concise brand of pop songs.

Among PC Music’s entourage of pop maximalists, Planet 1999 stick out. That isn’t to say they are minimalists by any means—their songs may be on the chiller side, but they still have an inscrutable web of tangled parts that create their unique sound. Their demo-like approach keeps everything sounding casual, friendly and distinctly approachable, despite using elements from challenging or alienating music. All in all, “Replay” is dedicated to a good time, ending right when the song’s said what it has to say. The track doesn’t linger, much like their previous singles “Party” and “Spell,” and noticeably fits more into a classic structure than their past two singles, with “Spell” eschewing pop structure entirely to create a sort of pop-soundscape playground.