Might you know this?

there's this synthwave album released either in 2016 or earlier

the cover was a (bikini clad?) girl who was barefoot, sat on top of a car that looks like a delorean or an alpha romeo that synth associates itself with. kinda like Wet Nellie's shape. (maybe she was holding a guitar?)

the color was peach, sunny, washed out orange, like how Sunbather looks.

the art was definitely angular, like how cubist art looks, but not abstracted at all, (it's as described above)

Yeah I agree. I used to love Synthwave but nowadays it really is waving through heaps of copycat shit to find some possible rare hidden gems. 99% of it is so bland and overdone with the same old goddamn purple and blue neon albumcovers. So boring. The last release I thought was good was Waveshaper's "CRT Days". And that's only because for me it accurately conveys a true sense of nostalgia for 90s computer gaming and their midi soundtracks. It's not 80s shit necessarily with this song, which made it stand out for me.

I know that the genre has expanded a lot from its original foots, but to me if it's going into 90s nostalgia, it's not really synthwave anymore, it's something else, or at least a hybrid. But I find discovering great synthwave pretty easy. Maybe I'm just lucky, or perhaps I have low standards, but here are a few things that are less known which I find pretty cool.

I have been listening to more new wave, goth, death rock and industrial more these days then metal. Hell I have been digging more psychobilly and outlaw country acts.

Currently attempting to throw myself into the dungeon synth rabbit hole. I love the atmosphere. Those B/W wintery forest album covers with synth tracks that sound like they've been recorded in a soup can 300 yards away... I dig it totally. Recently got infatuated with Yearner's Winternight album and Erdstall's Caverns of Endless. And of course, Mortiis's first demo is still a timeless favorite. If anyone has suggestions of where to go next, my novice ass would greatly appreciate you.

In love with that hyperpop stuff rn. My username's a band from one of the best to do it