Album Review: Melt

Turning on Melt by Wellington-based artist Staffroom immediately transported me to an 1980’s yuppie dreamscape. In that 80’s scenario, this is the music of the future, and in my visage, I am quickly downing my morning espresso while dodging heavy foot traffic on a fast-paced walk to work. The skyscraper I work in is just as flash as my suit, and with my office views of the sprawling inner city, I am making bank and feeling like a “God for A Day”.

The album blends New Wave and Frutiger Aero aesthetics seamlessly, where nature and urban development live harmoniously together, and while the energy is high, there is still a calmness embedded into the music. The percussion on Heirlooms matched with the synthesized pipes may sound like a frantic moment, but within the album’s confines, it is more of a composed panic. It’s crunch time at work, and I will not be leaving until I have the big report complete.

When you dial into this album, you can really get into the complexities of it all. Photoreceptive sounds like the flowing water of an indoor fountain, bringing the peace and relaxation of the Amazon into the lobby of a high-rise building. Album closer Melt feels like you’re standing on a balcony looking out into the world, knowing you could do anything you set your mind to. Through the chaotic intricacy of the synthwork, the result is highly uplifting and in my hypothetical 80’s office setting, pressing send on a fax machine has never felt so epic.

All In (My Head) is a skitzy and mechanical track full of all the bells and whistles a synthesizer can produce. Completely reminiscent of Prince’s When Doves Cry and just as industrial in nature, it builds its foundation before hitting you with that integrated verse-to-chorus hook before turning freaky in the back end. It’s what I’m dancing to all night at the nightclub after work, because high-paying jobs need high-energy releases. The second half is where it all lets loose, and you feel yourself starting to cut those shapes on the dance floor.

Completely self-produced over three years, Staffroom’s Melt is a sophisticated and meticulous labour of love, full of frenzied composition and pining vocals across 15 tracks. It’s completely faithful to the source material yet created in the future with a 1976-1987 New Wave almanac in hand. In an alternate universe, this album has number one hit singles and music videos plastered all over MTV.

Music to complement Staffroom’s Melt

Lone – Galaxy Garden – 2012
Tears For Fears – Songs From The Big Chair – 1985
John Maus – Later Than You Think – 2025