With “Sweepers,” Bike Monday – the spoonerized pseudonym of Mike Bundy (of many things, but most currently half of Orion) – gives us the retro-futuristic movie theme we didn’t know we’d been waiting for. I know there’s already been a lot of reference to movie soundtracks and scores in the reviews of these instrumental tracks, and I know it’s an obvious reference, but sometimes things are obvious because they’re right. We’re also in a moment where a fondness for a certain form of nostalgic synthesized cinematic music is on the upswing, due to a certain wildly popular streaming television shows. But “Sweepers,” while certainly mining territory and instrumentation that will be familiar to anyone who lived through the ’80s or has watched Netflix in the ’20s (oh my god we’re in the ’20s, that still kind of blows my mind), also brings us into its own unique world, rather than, say, aping one particular style or composer of film scores.
Employing all manner of synthesized devices and doohickeys I don’t know the first thing about, “Sweepers” has a consistent forward movement to it, an appealingly charming, relaxed propulsion – like a street sweeper with polka dots and big, wobbly antennae humming down the road. It sweeps you along with it, you bob your head amiably and bounce along as you watch it turn the dirt and grime of the city into sparkles and bubbles, leaving wonder and good feelings in its wake.