REVIEW: Loveproof – ‘Neon Blood Volume 2’

Toronto’s Loveproof erupt back into view, unleashing a record that feels like stepping into a neon-lit cathedral built from heartbreak, desire, and pure nocturnal theatre. ‘Neon Blood Volume 2’ is goth dream-pop sharpened to a blade’s edge, a decade-long vision finally arriving with the force of a long-held exhale.

From the very first synth tremor of ‘Blood Eagle’, it’s clear that vocalist Ciaran Megahey and multi-instrumentalist Brendan McGarvey are operating at a whole new altitude. Megahey’s sly, aching, and magnetic voice glides over McGarvey’s shadow-thick production like a ghost slipping through velvet curtains. Every bassline thrums with danger, and every melody flickers like a flame refusing to die. You can feel the years of meticulous crafting in every beat.

And then comes ‘Midnight Sun’, a track that practically levitates off the ground. Its dub-specked intro sets the scene before Megahey delivers one of his most spellbinding vocal performances to date; offering an incantation about finding meaning in the dark, sung with the conviction of someone who’s stared straight into the void and brought back treasure. And when the chorus hits, it’s transcendent.

Tracks like ‘Mirrors’ and ‘Daughter Of Time’ waste no time, plunging straight into shimmering synths with the former a meditation on modern narcissism. It’s urgent, hypnotic, and devastatingly relevant, a commentary disguised as a dream.

Across its ten-track run, ‘Neon Blood Volume 2’ is relentless in its ambition. Loveproof fold dream-pop, indie-rock, dub, and gothic romanticism into a sound completely their own. McGarvey’s “implied chord” sorcery gives these songs a restless tension that keeps you suspended, waiting for the next twist of colour or mood.

And then there’s the emotional weight: eight years of patience, perfectionism, and persistence distilled into one album that feels like their defining statement. This is the kind of record that cult followings are built on.

Loveproof have crafted a dark-pop monument that is vivid, feverish, and gloriously alive. If this is their magnum opus, it was worth every second of the wait.

Loveproof’s ‘Neon Blood Volume 2’ will be available to stream from the 5th December.