So what's up with goth coming outta the Pacific Northwest? Cairo Pythian might have been the best kept secret. There have been enough post- punk band's worshipping Ian Curtis and friends so why no one at the alter of Love and Rockets. Often they weave a weird piece of dark wave that pulls out the rock n roll more than I anticipated. The synths are darker than the guitar solos that are more Brit pop. The singer can sing, on some songs he carries a seventies glam streak. But we are getting ahead of our selves because it starts of with a colder electro synth pop streak.
The lyrics have a silly 80's rock element that billy idol, but then again the lyrics to "So Alive" didn't break poetic ground. To their credit these guys pull from more places than just Daniel Ash. There are traces of "Controversy" era Prince to "Pretty Hate Machine" N.I.N. The poppier industrial elements don't give this too much of a mid nineties feel. The title track is one of the strongest arguments for the band finding their own sound through the myriad of influences.
The s&m ode "Asexual Cake" is sexual chaos not unlike some of Rozz Williams more experimental moments in Christian Death. This album heavily lean on punk rock side of goth.This guy really captures some iconic sounds in the narcotic glimmer Brit pop's sleazier side, surfaces on" Yesterday's Make-up" gives me flashbacks of pre-dawn partying I did in the late 90's. It's what was goth before goth was goth and bands were avidly worshipping David Bowie...as they should have been. This is not to say there isn't any edge or grit to what he does. There is plenty of creepy snarl on "Goin' Fishing". The thick coat of general weirdness would make Psychic Tv proud at times with swirling ambiance dominating songs like "Forbidden Days".
The industrial elements are glamorized for the dance floor and not really for rivet heads throwing punches in latex. The genius in the production is the lo-fi indie rock distance the songs have to keep them from sounding like something on the oxymoron that is mainstream alternative radio. Yet the sound are crisp enough for the melodies to shine through, think pre-"After the End" Merchandise. They are goth enough to have a Dracula reference on "My Friend Renfield".
If you are tired of "cold wave" albums that sound like they were recorded on a four track in the bathroom and open to some genre defying drug crazed nonsense that is fun as all hell, do not waste another second of your life by not hearing this "band". I was able to just stop keeping score as I knew I was going to like each song. This one gets a 10 no question, the less song oriented drifts into the bizarre are balanced out by his keen ear for song writing.
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