If any Pittsburgh band was going to draw the love of a member of the Psychedelic Furs, it makes sense that it would be Seven Color Sky, a quartet takes its inspiration from the synth-rock of the New Wave era.

Seven Color Sky first opened for the Furs at Club Laga in 2003 and then again at the Three Rivers Arts Festival in the summer of 2004. A few months later the band found itself in the studio with Furs guitarist John Ashton, the result of which was the "Better Looking" EP.

The band now follows with a full-length release recorded with Ashton last year. SCS still comes on with layers of synthesizers and sweeping melodic vocals of Scott Bedillion, but "Goodbye to Gravity" also cranks the guitars more in the mix.

"I became pretty obsessed with the '70s rock section of my record collection while these songs were evolving. ELO, Player, Pilot, 10CC," explains frontman Bedillion. "It inspired a lot of the lead guitar work, harmony vocals and the general feel of the album. Of course there's still the heavy Smiths/Cure/Psychedelic Furs influence. It's almost like the Cure with a splash of Journey in a way, a little more guitar-synth balance.

"We were trying for a more three-dimensional sound on the album; less compressed and produced sounding. I think we got that, where it feels like there's space between the instruments. Frank [Postava], our drummer, thinks it sounds like vinyl more than a CD, and that's what we were hoping."

Bedillion says that Ashton encourages the band to think beyond being a live act in the studio. "He'd keep saying 'It's a work of art' and that it won't ever be the same live as it is recorded."

"John provides an experienced, discerning ear and a wealth of creative ideas and suggestions for instrumental layering," adds bassist Marc Turina. "John has taught me never to rush the final product and to always keep my mind open and consider any and all creative inclinations."

The band thinks "Goodbye to Gravity" is the kind of record that could appeal to fans of the first New Wave as well as its more recent revival.

"Our first discs were released at a time when there was a fresh audience for the minor key, New Wave aspects of our sound with younger fans of The Killers and that bunch of bands, so that was a plus," says keyboardist Terry Divelbliss "On the other hand, there were those who still loved that sound from the WXXP days who were happy to hear it live on in our music. It's always going to be somewhat of a niche for the fans of that era, and the fact that we've punched up the guitars that are reminiscent of what was happening in mainstream AOR rock at the time probably makes it even more appealing to fans of that era. Unless they were listening to new wave purposely to stay away from corporate rock. ... Who knows!"