Vocalist and electronic producer Alyssa Midcalf first introduced the world to her performance alias Primer with her 2019 debut album Novelty. The record showcased Midcalf’s ability to transmute trauma into something beautiful, detailing honest and sometimes harrowing stories against upbeat rhythms, lush melodies, and a modern take on ’80s-inspired synth. Now, with her sophomore album Incubator, Midcalf has pushed the full weight of her musicality, angular songwriting, and ethereal vocals into 10 new wave tracks, creating a sound she describes as “abject pop” because the sonics are buoyant but the lyrics are anything but. Through songs like the socially aware “Just A Clown,” the slow-building, “Feel The Way I Do” and celebratory “Warning” Incubator, offers listeners a synth-pop lens to examine our relationship with ourselves, other people, and life itself.