Gothtober : Black Doldrums : "In Limerence"

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These guys have enough gloom in their atmosphere to cross over the threshold of what might be considered goth. It's not just punk with effects on the guitar. The baritone vocals are not just trying to recreate what Ian Curtis started; their resonance reminds me a little of Beast Milk. This opening track is awe-inspiring so that is going to set a high bar for the rest of the album. "Dying For You' sits a reverb-heavy guitar against a synth-laden ambiance. The vocals sit back more offering a more detached ambiance.

"Summer Breeze" is not another cover of the Seals & Croft song, but a more upbeat song, that is like a vocally less emotive take on the Cure. You hear the more plaintive side of his baritone. The fact that they are British I guess makes this Brit pop to some extent, and the Cure comparisons more understandable. It also lends to the argument I make of how music is affected by the egregore of where it is created and how that energy plays into things. Things get darker for "Dwell or Depart". Though the vocals are relegated to becoming a more distant accent in the mix "Painting Smiles" has more drive making it one of the album's more compelling songs. 

"Need" has a more hypnotic drone. The vocals continue to sit further back in the mix. "In Silence" proves once again that they benefit from a more aggressive approach and going into the songs with some momentum. With this in mind, the vocals do not have to play a large role as the groove of the song compensates for them being in the background. "Tarantula" just kind of haunts the background as it's almost to atmospheric for its own good, and has little to grab your ears. The single-note riffs to "Change of a Season" are more memorable. It has a little more dance in its veins. It's the album;s strongest vocal, they are somewhat like Interpol in that regard that the music balances the vocals out. 

The vocals get a little more love in the mix of "New Moon". It has more of an 80s new-wave feel. Think Echo and the Bunnymen or Psychedelic Furs in this regard. Then the last song finds a more Cure-like glom cast over everything like this is a song from a long-lost Crow soundtrack that was unreleased. I will give this a 9, as the album sounds great they not only captured classic tones I love but made and effort to write songs with them as well. If you want dark hearted post-punk this is worth checking out.

 

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