Yama Uba : "Silhouettes"

 

The members of Oakland-based post-punk Otzi formed a new project that leans more toward dark wave Timing is everything, as it seems so far this year all I have had to review has been death metal, so since this is one of the first albums of this sort I am reviewing this year it feels fresher than it might if I was reviewing this album in October. The second song follows more of the color-by-numbers approach to the modern take on dark wave. They shine on moments like "Shatter" where groove and punchy vocal hooks create something memorable. \

When they add a punk edge to the familiar dark wave sounds, things click into place with greater ease. Lyrically things need to be as mature as the mood their instruments create. In pondering where in the genre lyrics are handled in the most pristine manner, the first two names that came to mind were Chelsea Wolfe and Grave Pleasures. Not everyone has a way with words nor does every band invest the same ear for detail, but that is what creates the greatest acts, which I do not think at this point such an honor would be rightly bestowed upon this band, who are  Are they better than the bulk of their peers? Yes, but that is a low bar. To their credit this is not total Siouxsie worship, in fact, they remind me more of Switchblade Symphony. 

There are some moments of morose musing that wallow too deeply into a drone. The guitar seeks to follow more of an early Cure path in this regard, so it is less riff-oriented. The saxophone on "Isolation" leans into more of an 80s sound, but at least breaks away from just being confined to the approved goth sounds. Somewhere around "Laura" the album started to fade into the background for me and I had to go back and give the second half another listen. "Laura" has more drive, but sonically stays in a small black box. This carries over until; the album ends with the last being the track that stands out the most, that to more purposeful vocals. I will give this album an 8, as they do care about song writing, even when mired down into the genre's more predictable tropes. 

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Gothtober - Otzi : "Storm"

 

The first song is more in the Siouxsie like vein while the second song has a chorus that reminds me of "I Melt With You" by Modern English. The thrid song finds them falling back into the more punk side of post-punk. Even when they use these sounds more effectivly on "Scorpio" the main verse is kind of  color by numbers, though things like the sax onb the chorus and some of the more interesting guitar licks balance things out. Even if it's a synth making the sax sound it works. The more manic punk side of this still works when thye aexperiment enough with it. "Ballad of Oiwa" has a more dynamic sounds that plays to the benefit of their singer's voice and makes it one of the album's best songs. 

After the previous song , going into a more punk sound feels like a step backwards for the band. They have show us they are capable of more making this feel like filler. Sadly after showing so much potential they begin to settle for just playing dark punk with songs like "Eight Cups" and Outer Bounds". The lyrics to the latter being more interesting of the two songs. Then they slow things down on "15 Stars" and allow mood to develop. As it simmers I can hear where the drummer is not yet committing to the beat so hope they don't fuck this up by picking up the tempo. They kind of split the difference as the guitar keeps doing it's thing and the drums build a marching tension before going into the color by numbers disco beat. The drummer is this band's weak link. 

The go into more ofa hypnotic funeral march leading into the title track that closes the album., This brooding pulse is well layered and show a distinct difference in what is goth vs what is post punk. This song is what the band need more of as it plays to their strengths rather than exposing their weaknesses . I will give this album an 8 ,as there are a couple of great ones , many good songs, and a few filler. If you are a fan of the band you will be happy. If you like a blend of goth and punk, then this is worth your time.