Kevin Bronson on August 14th, 2015

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If multi-instrumentalist/producer Brian Young were really worried about fashion, he’d be making all-dressed-up-for-radio pop. Instead Young, who works under the name The Fashion Focus, crafts hazy neo-shoegaze rooted in ’80s post-punk and synth-pop. It’s not a far cry from the aesthetic achieved by criminally overlooked L.A. shoegazers Starflyer 59 on their 1998 album “The Fashion Focus,” and Young’s band name wasn’t a coincidence — a friend noted the similar vibe early on. The title track off the Fashion Focus’ debut album is titled “The World Outside,” and it’s being released as a single via Academy of Sound. Like the rest of the album, the song was made in Young’s home studio squirreled away in the San Bernardino Mountains, and there’s a sense of isolation in the plaintive vocals and languid textures. Young’s live band includes Rocky Durand (bass/synths) and Lance Beckford, and he’s already at work on a new album targeted for release in 2016. If you liked your moody ’80s Brits, you’ll enjoy a peek into Young’s world.

||| Stream: “The World Outside”