DeathbyRomy : "Hollywood Forever"

 

Pop music marketed to the "vvitches" of Tiktok, who are the new generation of Hot Topic kids. Her image contrasts with the otherwise upbeat grooves that open the new album. Her voice is what you expect from a pop singer in 2025. "La La Land" finds a marginally more aggressive beat under her lamenting of Los Angeles. As someone who moved from the city, it's hard for me to sympathize with this plight. It is a dog-eat-dog world, so she has that part right. Guitars do appear here, but they are produced in such a way it takes all the rock out of them. Ironically, she goes from this into "Yung and Rich" so she can't decide what her problems are. 

What works on this record is how it is left of the center of mainstream pop, a touch of Die Antwoord influence, and at times, there  is a somewhat abrasive edge that tries to be more aggressive. "XXXhibitionost" finds her flexing sex in your face to create a pretty effective mood, as this is one of the best grooves so far, so she does better when horny. "City of Angels" shows how her identity is entwined in the chaos of her landscape.  The chorus has more of a rock feel to it. By the time it gets to "California Baby," the subject matter feels more like a gimmick. I think this is still a little more legit and tolerable than Billie Eilish. 

"Corpse Kiss" is marginally darker; it carries more of an '80s slink as the vocals are given more room on the verses. It blows up on the chorus like you expect most dance songs to, and it rides the line of hyperpop and future pop.  The bass line to "Little Dreamer" takes on a more organic growl. Then it dances into the sunset. "Bitchfamous" is another dramatic romanticization of her lifestyle. The hook going into the chorus works well. There is a hint of Lady Gaga to the melody's formula. "Kill or Be Killed" is more in your face with manic energy. There are hints of metal core in the mix. 

"Pray to Me" is driven by an effective groove and masturbatory mood to the vocal performance, but it goes off when it reaches the hook.  "If I Die Young" closes the album. It is a bit more of a ballad. The beat is more subtle. The chorus is not as hooky as the previous song. I will round this down to a 9.5, and see how it grows on me. Some of the more contrived thematic elements play into my feelings about the album, but the stronger songs win me over. 

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Song of the Week-WARGASM's "Vigilantes'

 

If Mindless Self-Indulgence were to rapeDie Antwoord during an alien abduction somewhere on the Zeef-side, then the results might be this band. They are the kind of crazy I love. Actual instruments are being banged on; they have done the rock festival circuit a few times over, so they are not names you won't recognize. I know the trend is for bands to sometimes just release a string of singles but I hope this is foreshadowing of an impending full-length. But if so, it would not drop til June at the earliest, unless they have the worst press team ever. They call themselves angry music for sad people, and I don't get where the sad is in this equation, but it is so good I am not questioning it. 

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Gothtober - Ya Toyah :"Drama"

This is on the very pop-leaning side of dark wave. It's dark enough for October,  the second song sounds like Madonna was covering a Deftones song.  It is one of the album's more dynamic songs. Her voice hovers around an alto coo. She tends to belt it out more on the chorus which follows a more typical radio formula. Smokey and sensual would be better adjectives to describe her overall sound than dark or melancholy though inner struggle is expressed differently. By the time we are the title track, she is clearly working off of a songwriting formula. But it packs more of a rock punch than most darkwave so she has that going in her favor. 

I was not expecting the nu-metal tendencies that haunt "Denial". It is oddly offset by the drum programming as it patters under the snarled vocals at a less intense pulse. This does set her apart from other pop artists going in this direction, I guess aside from Poppy.  The album begins to oscillate between the two polarities of the electronic pop songs and the more grandiose, electronic rock songs.  Most female-fronted metal bands these days circle the sonic zip code at the peak heaviness for this album. It is more unexpected than unheard of. 

Things ebb back down to a simmering electro power ballad for "Caves".It's darker than Katy Perry, and less organic than In This Moment. She begins to emote more soulfully which still staddles the fence. This leaves most of the shadows to the production choices being made in the mic, as the vocals could be remixed to fit into many different genres. When things take a more dub steppy grind then it feels very 2010 in some ways. She continues to belt things out when a more subtle touch could be. To her credit for what she does, she hits the best balance on "Falling Comet" to close the album, and still gets to flex her pipes. This album falls somewhere closer to Radio Rock with an electronic pulse, I will give it an 8. 

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Unto Others : "Never, Neverland"

In some ways, the opening track of this band's new album is an improvement, but I had to get over the onset of the song that sounds just like H.I.M. What was more puzzling was if many of the sonic keystones I listen for in music are in place then why is it not quite clicking. So I dug into my past reviews to find the answer,  all the way back to when they were called Idle Hands. I saw them open for King Diamond during that time and the cock rock influences were fighting with the goth band they want to be.  This more cock rocking side can be heard on "Momma Likes the Door Closed " which has a similar feel to the Micheal Graves era Misfits. 

Perhaps there is a stiffness to the singer baritone croon, that feels more like Volbeat to me at times and less gothy, despite their best efforts. Danzig has a bluesy swagger to his voice that this kid is not nailing. "Angel of the Night" finds this more pronounced. The mix of this album is not going a thick on the reverb to help them shed some of the 8os feel to their sound, this could be the Killers given where everything sits with bringing more mid-range to create a little brighter sound. If they are going for a more goth sound, it plays against that, If they are trying to find a more radio-friendly middle-ground. An anti-suicide anthem is not the most goth thing. This album is also a step away from metal, so if you see it on any end-of-the-year metal lists, call bullshit. After all "Sunshine' is pretty much pop. 

They use a harder-edged guitar, but revert to an almost ghost-flavored style or pop-rock on "Fame". Though the verses flow, better than most of the songs, and everything fits in place arrangement-wise. So there is some smart songwriting, but they are just now figuring out they were never really a metal band in the first place. The song titles are not this album's strength as "When the Kids Get Caught' is awkward, though the song itself works pretty well. I am buying it's more Stephen King-like take on horror. Some of the harmony guitar parts are solid. They double down and try to thrash out "Flatline" but the vocals don't work that great for it. "Time Goes On " feels more like a Blue Oyster Cult song, but it's catchy and works for me. 

They try to go for an 80s feel on "Cold World", but it feels more like 90s Duran Duran to me. The guitar playing is pretty great on it with some jazzy passages. "I Am the Light" waltzes like a circus theme, but as a rock song, it feels like it is trying too hard. "Raigeki" does not find its pieces fitting as solidly. It's the first song that is more of a fast-forward classic. "Hoops" has a clean guitar sound, so much so it reminds me of the Police before it kicks in. One of the more guitar-focused cuts.  The title track closes the album with an awkward fizzle, that does not live up to the album's strongest moments, but overall the album is a success as they realize who they are as a band, which is not a metal band, but writing sardonic pop anthems. I will give it a 9, which stacks it shoulder to shoulder against their other work where their strength were displayed differently. 

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Urban Heat : "the Tower"

 

Kids today use the term gatekeeping like it's a bad word. That is because they have grown up being able to stream entire albums without paying for them, so will never know the frustration of buying an album and then getting home to play it and only the one song you heard on the radio is decent or it's not what you thought it was going to be. Even at the high price of free, I am investing time to listen to an album that could be invested in working on a review for something better, so there is always a price. With that said going into this album knowing that no matter what their press says or how this band identifies they are not a dark wave band. It's pop, future pop perhaps. Darker than the pop you hear on the radio? Sure but that is a low bar. 

There is an upbeat happiness to this, it has a very video game feel to me, so cyber-pop might be a sub-genre that works to set better expectations for what you might be heading into here. The first song is the most aggressive moment, then things go in a more new wave direction at times. They have more similarities with Duran Duran than Depeche Mode sonically. There are hooks, but you would have to be a very desperate DJ to try to work this into a "goth nite" set. There is an element to what they do that makes me think more of Panic at the Disco than the Cure. The only post-punk adjacent artist they remind me of is the Killers.  

They do manage to get a little darker on "Blindfolds and Magic Bullets" but one dark song does not make you goth. It just means your album has at least one song I like. Even then it's a good example of how music becomes diluted, rather than listening to the Cure themselves, these guys sound like they have listened to bands who were influenced by the Cure. It feels as if Chuck Mosely joined an industrial band after Faith No More. "Right Time of Night" wants to be punk-influenced new-wave with the attitude they posture for here. The chorus is oddly more melodic. "Say the Words" feels like Joji remixing Sleep Token, with its atmospheric take on a pop ballad. The song gains a groove more in line with the sleepy feel of bedroom pop.

"Seven Safe Places" we are back in the Killers' Sonic zip code. The album closes with "Addicted to the Sounds", which must mean the sound they are addicted to is synth wave wanting to Depeche Mode.I will give this album an 8.5, which is fair enough as they care about writing songs, despite often wearing their influences on their sleeves, we just need to be clear about what they are doing here, as the band itself is often not.  This is not something I would really give a great deal of repeat listens to just because I prefer to skip the chase and listen to something darker, but there is an audience for this. Artofact Records is releasing this August 16th. 

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Corlyx : "Blood in the Disco"

 

You got to love a band that refuses to make the same album twice. This time they are veering off into more of a 90s electro pop sound in the vein of bands like Curve. The vocals purr over the bass driven grooves, while they shadow of the core sound have not fade but give room for upbeat pulse of the song. Male vocals chime in on "Raindrops" which takes a smokier approach to the direction they were heading in when the album opened. It rides that line where cold wave meets pop. Lyrically things have more depth this time around. "The Echo" is more in line with where they were heading on their previous album, though marginally more upbeat. This album does explore a broader range of synth sounds. 

 Caitlyn's vocals on this album have sexier smokier feel on this album. There is something more tangibly sensual about how they slither over the songs. This amplifies the message of songs like "Take off Everything:  Chris Harms of Lord of the Lost joins them for " Never Love" which comes the closest to melding with the current goth landscape.   Harms voice adds some grit in places. This album reminds me that many of the so-called goth icons when they had their heyday in the 80s were basically making pop music. The way the back off into a more melodic side for "Incinerate: my point is further proven. Which is also to say the songwriting is really great on this album to inspire such a comparison. In some place her voice is like the sultrier tone Kate Bush touches on when striking a similar chord. 

"Lace and Latex" is one of the album's darkest moments with the band cruising through a sonic zip code similar to Switchblade Symphony. In terms of mood the latter part of the album haunts similar shadows. It flows very well and grows on me with each listen. This album is also benefits from the production value stepping up in terms of the pristine mix these sounds are delivered in. There is more of a post-punk feel to "the Threshold". The last song splits the difference between the more melodic pop ambiance the delved into at the onset of the album and their dark wave side.  I will go ahead and round this up to a 10 as it is still growing on, me but fans of the band should embrace these new sounds.

Gothtober-Billy Howerdel :" What Normal Was "

 The brainchild of A Perfect Circle is back. This is not his first solo effort, as the Ashes Divide band was that as well. The only reason I can presume he is not releasing this as Ashes Divide is due to the departure from rock music here and something closer to Depeche Mode. This should not be surprising as A Perfect Circle covered "People are People" on "Emotive". Where the first track on this album works of a more familiar moodiness, "Free and Weightless" flows with a more grooving dance beat. Though it feels more like new wave, than even Depeche Mode. 

Things gradually get darker on "Ani". This entire album feels gothy in how it reflects on lost love. It is almost dark wave in the pulse of this song. The guitars a very Cure like, but that could be said of most of his work. His vocals are lower and more crooned on this album, there is less of a Maynard feel that you got from when he sang with A Perfect Circle, which given the need for vocal blending is not surprising. Perhaps he is just coming out of that shadow here.    Though on " Beautiful Mistake" he does sing in a higher more introspective manner that is somewhat Radiohead like.  But much like Depeche Mode this is really just dark pop music which is fine with me. Some of the hooks are just really subtle. 

He gets darker again on " Poison Flowers". The programed drums set against the acoustic ones provide a cool dynamic. Production wise this is a beautiful album as all the sounds are capture in an immaculate manner and its a near perfect mix. "Follower" lives up to its title by following more closely the lead set by Depeche Mode.  There is a more introspective breeziness amid the underlying tension of "Bring Honor Back Home" The bulk of the songs are very tightly written, with only a few moments like "EXP" where the atmosphere causes the focus to wander. "Stars" closes the album  with the guitars dropping a slightly more rock tinged color to the overall dynamics of the album. The Gary Numan like vocals are pretty cool.  I will give this album a 9, it's a welcome addition to what he does. 

Pale Waves : " My Mind Makes Noises"

I've been collecting singles from the band leading up to this album. So I've been looking forward to it. While I've  described this band to friends as a mix of Taylor Swift with the Cure. The opener is pretty bubble gum, but well done for what it. You don't get to hear the meat of what they do until "There's a Honey". The hook in the chorus is subtle, but I've woken up at 4 AM with it in my head as I stumble to the bathroom. It's songs like this one that have provided a soundtrack to my summer and navigating the first feelings of new relationships. There is a unhinged vulnerability to her lyrics that resonates with me. The title track has lyrics I can really relate to in regards to where anxiety and neurosis mixes with the initial burst of chemicals that comes with fluttering stomachs. Heather's voice alone can induce some fluttering, as since this is an album review I'l just letting the pictures do the talking in regards to her other key selling points.


"Came in Close" is a more upbeat dance song. I feel pretty positive when I hear it, though it is moments likes these that puts them very close to Chrvches zip code. "Loveless Girl" is moodier though with pop slick production. Like many of these songs the strength lies in the honesty of the lyrical narrative, which makes what would other wise sound like smart pop, even sharper.  There are hints of the 80s, one of the biggest influences seems to be Cyndi Lauper. "Drive" shows how Heather can throw her voice around as needed. The guitar is often mixed against the synths pretty closely so until there is distortion on them like in this song it can be hard to make out where they begin and keyboards end. Production wise the album is immaculate it one of the best vocal mixes I have heard since Taylor Swift's album. "When Did I Lose It All" goes into a chorus that makes me think of if the Cocteau Twins were a pop band instead of ethereal elf songs. This might be the strongest song that was not a single.

"She" is an atmospheric ballad that has a teenage jealousy to it that I don't relate to as much. There is an actual guitar solo on this one. "One More Time" is a bouncy break up song. It's anthem like chorus doesn't work as well for me as the verses. "Television Romance" is one of the more 80s sounding singles, but it's also a great fucking song. The guitar riffs sound like Prince while her voice has a quirk that really works. "Red" is more guitar driven that the bulk of the album, and proves the band does have a more organic side. Lyrically it could be a Tay Tay b-side, it's also the first song where she admits to being a vixen. The guitar is what really brings this one home and sets them apart from radio pop. "Kiss" might be my favorite song from these guys, though the lyrics factor into this. "Black" is another love gone wrong song. It's her voice that really sells it though more guitar in the verses doesn't hurt anything. It gets stripped way down to an acoustic guitar on "Karl". It's raw vulnerability that really sells this song. This band proves Brit pop doesn't have to have anything to do with the Beatles. I'll round this one up to a 10.

Chelsey & the Noise : "Blank Frames"

Half of the time when band's submit something for review it's painful, the other half is a lucky surprise, this album falls on that side of the fence. Almost like a more glitch ridden version of Pale Wave. This project takes you on a more glitchy and experimental ride with twisted pop groove and hints of dub step.  Mindless Self Indulgence might be another point of reference. The album flows really well and I can just leave it playing, this is always a good sign for me.

The opener "Mountain" has more of a bounce in it's step. The vocals remind me of St Vincent due to their quirky nature. It finds it's way into a groove as layers are added. "Castle" starts off with a little more unconventional chaos, but a minute in it morphs into something that grabs you with an almost hip hop beat. The continue to defy not only genres , but the rules of what electro pop should and should not sound like on "Thick / Clear". The sugary sweet vocals bob and weave between the beats. I would be hard pressed to refer to their sound as dark, but the shadows tend to color undertones they use. Lyrically the themes seem pretty loose, though on "Thick / Clear" the message seems to come across the clearest. 

"Depth Denyting" the fourth and final song has a very strong beat. While there is a more somber and melodic mood. The vocals dance around this in more of a chanted feel and are less sung. Once again defying any kind of sub-genre title. The mood brings Portishead to mind , but this is not acid jazz or trip-hop. In the songs last minute the pace picks up a more soulful melody develops. Overall this ep is great and while it fits into the bigger picture of what goth/ dark pop looks like in 2018, it doesn't feel the need to really conform. The fact I loaded it into my iPod is bigger compliment than me rounding it up to a 10. 

Strvngers : "Amor / Noir"

+ This gem was dropped in my in-box and was a lucky surprise.Song's like "Fetisha" have nu-metal edge to their swelling dynamics , but the blood in the song's veins is more of a desperation conveyed in the smart and biting lyrics. The production on this album gives it a big arena filling sound. Sometimes the sound takes on more of a euro dance feel falling closer to Lords of Acid then at other times there is more of a cocky Mindless Self Indulgence vibe in the attitude that oozes from some of the songs. Where it excels at every turn is by their mastery of creating hooks that bring you back for multiple listens. 

The dynamic range of this albums goes from future pop with the vocals taking on more of a croon as the glide over bouncy anthems like "This Isn't a Phase" to more grandiose and cinematic swathes if apocalyptic majesty. "Hexxxed" has a slower bump and grind to it that reminds me a little of Marilyn Manson's "Apple of Sodom". The smoother pop groove of "Pink Coffin" is some what upbeat ,despite the lyrics, though the hook of "I don't give a fuck about anyone but myself" gives the song more attitude, as the edges of the song drip with the steamy porn sound bytes. A darker more industrial strength shadow falls over the stomp that rocks "Lethargy". This album doesn't just rely on cool beats, but has fantastic vocal lines that keep it compelling. In the album's third act , more guitar does begin to surface as it takes you down a much darker rabbit hole. I really love the more Depeche Mode like croon on the verses of "Porcelain". The chorus has a more explosive rock feel, but I think they achieve a perfect balance dynamically.

 Even as the album ends with more of a neon power ballad  you are caught up in the bleak longing this album invokes at varying speeds. This proved to be an infectious album that I found myself returning to many times over so it easily gets a 10 and it went straight to my iPod ,which is as big of a compliment as I can give any band. The real estate of gbs in my iPod is pretty competitive considering the amount of music I consume on any given day.
 

Unwoman : "War Stories"

So all I have really known in regards to this project was from the State of the Goth Scene panels that Erika Mulkey has been on. I might have caught a moment or two of her performances there but it did not stand out in my mind so that is questionable. There is more of a folk feel to the opening song than I expected going into this album. Solemn is a better adjective for this song than dark. I like the piano loop in the title track, the way the vocals wrap around this is very Rasputina, which is a good thing in my book.The chorus is more straight forward pop that what Rasputina would do and that is ok as well since I want Ms. Mulkey to have her identity. Lyrically I think she has a very clear vision of how she wants to communicate her ideas which is another positive quality. I might not always agree of where all the melodies go as "Saviors" reminds me a little of a Broadway song, but I like when it transitions back into the verse, so it's either a mixed bag or just takes me a little bit to get used to what she does. I think the fact I can hear a little Kate Bush in what she aspires to do is what makes me more understanding of the big picture.

"Before the Flood" is lyrically grim, but is sung with a brighter shade than what you might expect from the lyrics. The backing layers of vocals are somewhat more morose. Aside from the cello the instrumentation is rather sparsely mixed but for what it is the song seems to work. "the Surrender" is more of a ballad that meanders for the first minute, the cello builds things on what would be the chorus. Lyrically it is a little more obtuse than the previous songs. "Bad Man" is a little more compelling in both narrative and musicality. The more feminist slant to the lyrics is not my thing, but I appreciate it's hers and like for people to be about something. "We Love Longest" doesn't really stand out despite it's smooth sing along melody. I prefer the more exotic melancholy to "the Same Stream". Here the minimal electronics work well in contrast to the more organic qualities and lurking languid vocals. "Flies" is where things fully commit to the goth side. Not the best song, but it is the darkest so far.

There a 50's doo-wop feel to " Waxing Gibbous" which was not what I was expecting, but I think it's cool as it certainly widens the albums dynamic range. Things mellow out further on the dreamy "Almost".  The lyrics are personal and seem to be about finding her place in the world. She stays in this surreal sugar dust Bjork like place for "Breathe Out". The vocals are well layered. I'll give this album an 8.5 it's well crafted and she has a knack of taking her voice to interesting places. Will make it more of a point to catch her on the Con circuit this year.

Gothtober - Flynn Effect :"Obsidian"

This is a pop infected brand of darkwave with guitars to it or at least that is where the album starts off it gradually gets more radio rock as it goes. The female vocals are dramatic but more on the rock side of the fence. It sounds good aside from some of the synth settings sounding like they are from an anime soundtrack. But maybe that is exactly what they were going for . This project is from Australia , but it could have been from Japan. It is interesting that when artists come from places outside of western influence there can be an element of the sound remaining locked in a time period music coming out of America has already seen come and go by a decade. The guitars do give "Fade" more of a metallic edge, but it reminds me of pre-nu metal Lacuna Coil. The drumming is pretty decent, though the guitars are fairly color by numbers metal.

By the time I get to "Eastwood Blues" I begin to suspect that perhaps I am not the demographic they are going for since I am not a teenage girl and I expect teenage girls might find this heavier. They do use some different tones on this song, but it feels like they are going into more uncertain territory. She has a good voice, but goes to places too similar when it comes to the melodies she crafts. I would like to hear a wider range of emotion expressed from her. I think it was on "Tremors" when it all started to bleed together for me. Her voice doesn't sound as sure of it self as it does at the beginning of the album, but once the song kicks in everything becomes a bit of a blur as the songs after this one become indistinguishable. In fact I had to go back and give another listen to them in order to find the points of separation. There is a little more of an electronic power ballad quality to "Talk". The formula is used on all the songs on this album sometimes they just kick into a little more aggressively.

"The Darkest Hour" starts off harder is a little more firmly planted on the rock side of the coin in a manner similar to the Gathering. Her vocal range is fairly limited as most of the stick in a mid-range alto. The piano ballad eventually does the power ballad build, it's my least favorite on the album. "Give in To Me" has more of a nu-metal groove to it. Her voice could use some effects to it as it sounds very dry where it sits in the mix.I'll give this album a 5.5. These guys could stand to get darker and heavier and the vocals needed way more love in post-production.

Zola Jesus : "Okovi"

After her last album I really needed her to get back to darker places. That is what happens after a weird atmospheric introduction. She combines sweeping strings with tracks that sound like they came from one of Bjork's nightmares. "Soak" is a pop song with a strong hook that proves pop does not have to be a bad word. My ex-wife used to complain that she sang in too nasal or throaty of a tone, but the clear vocal tones on " Ash to Bone" ends that argument. The atmosphere is pretty thick. So much so that in comparison to the first two actual songs, it almost feels more like an interlude. The lushly orchestrated "Witness" picks up where the previous song left off, but with a more melodic grace. The hints of soul in her voice are more fleshed out here. I prefer her more new wave side, though it's hard to make a case of the quality of singing here.

The chorus vs the verse of "Siphon" is a tug of war between her earlier work and this more mature turn to conventional pop. The song backs off from the groove til the chorus. The first beat that really makes you report to the dance floor is on "Veka" which starts of with a more introspective ambiance and builds into something more physically moving. I kept hearing that there were trap beats on this album, and I am not hearing it. The vocal refrain of "Wiseblood" carries the song. The beat is interesting and big with a tribal hint. There is an 80's sci-fi pulse to "Remains". Her voice really sounds great here. The song gets weird in the sense it feels like the 80's are colliding with 90's electronica as there is more of a break beat to this one. By the end the pace picks up and ebbs back down. The vocal production shines here, there is perfect blend of effects on her voice to compliment her natural tone with out taking away from it and creating a radio conformity.

It was a little disappointing that the last song was instrumental as well when it comes to Zola Jesus I want to hear her singing. So this is not the perfect album, but it is a welcome addition to her legacy and finds her voice continuing to live up to it's potential. I think it's a good compromise in terms of darker electronic music and pop. I don't see this propelling her into Katy Perry or even Sia status in terms of radio play, but that is not what she is going for or she would be there. I'll give this one a 9.5.

Deathwhite : "Solitary Martyr"

Invisible Oranges says these guys are not metal, but I suppose that depends on how you define metal, they are about heavy as"Viva Emptiness" era Katatonia , which I though was metal. The way they chug into some of the chords is metallic. Maybe its the fact they use clean vocals, but if you are a regular reader here you know we hold clean vocals into much higher regard around here than some of the other blogs I write for. These guys could have come out in the early 2000s for sure. They also jump back and forth from clean guitar tones to distorted ones. "Suffer Abandonment" is generally not as heavy as the opener and the harmonies put the Katatonia influence on their sleeves. The pick up the pace, but the vocals get slightly poppier. The bass is more audible on this song which is plus and by the second song I'm still a little mixed about them , but hopeful. This is heavier than Katatonia's last album, but not some of the lower tuned stuff of "Night is the New Day".

"Vein" has more groove and then drops down into acoustic guitar which I was not expecting. They step away from the Katatonia moodiness and its almost prog until the big chorus comes up. I can see why they are called "dark Pop" here but the fact they have real guitars makes them more dark rock. Dark pop is more like Twin Shadow or Karin Park. Since we listen to actual pop music that is dark here take our word for it. The drummer has some chops as he takes a few fills around the break down. The title track is upbeat, like radio rock in some ways think Breaking Benjamin if they were more creative. Though the hook isn't as sharp as you would assume it would be .

There is a more deliberate pound from the bass on "Only Imagined" . It slows down not like doom , but a reflective power ballad diving into a depressive swing. The guitar is catchy here and I like the bass playing on this song. The singer has a clear plaintive voice that has a little more power than Jonas, though he is not as creative in his placement.By the album for what it is it succeeds , I suppose if you are drawing influence from Katatonia its a good place to start. It wins me over by the end , it's heavier than Ghost that's for sure, I'll give it a 9.

Report to the Dance Floor :Health's " Death Magic"

I question some of the reviews where I have seen this project referred to has an industrial, they are edm with certainly a dark and dirty slant to it and a kick , but Industrial ? Well it took many listens to convince me of this. This is their sixth album and it's been five years in the making, so no wonder  they  have become masters at layering some clever vocal melodies over yearning grooves to create some hooks that sink into your brain and pull you along for the ride. They flirt with industrial and might even be influenced by as evident on what follows the tribal pound of  drums that open " Men Today" and their is some noise to it , while the sounds assembled are cool , for an album with such emphasis place on sex and drugs it feels like foreplay with no climax. There's an old 80s dance feel to "Flesh World" the androgynous are very fey in the same manner of Sliversun Pick ups or Savage Garden. There are some glitch ridden sounds thrown into the sonic jumble. I have always wondered if the remixes are going to sound better than the originals , then why not just make the original songs sound like that in  the first place? Well the solve that by making "Flesh World" sound like it has already been re-mixed.

There is an "Army of Me " pulse to "Courtship" , then the album begins backing off  from their industrial into more Pet Shop Boys territory on " Dark Enough". That has a slight dancehall skip to the beat. The melody turns around on the song in a way that reminds me of "Policy of Truth". Things get even poppier with "Life". The opening cadence to "Salvia" might fool some into thinking this is industrial, and it is rather close to some one like Soft Moon. But it's really just an interlude. "New Coke" is a surreal form of ghostly pop that echoes behind the beat. Out of the darkness that has generally been the rule of thumb for this albums comes the sparkle of "L.A. Looks". This could be played on the dance floor of any hispter dive.

There is a little bit of a witch house thing going on in the production, some of it has the old school Zola Jesus lo-fi quality to it and this is brought out on "Hurt Yourself". The album ends with the very fitting " Drugs are Real" whose lyrics makes me think of a few old friend and takes me to a place of morbid reflection on my drug days. I like where the vocals sit in the mix on this one.I'll give it a 9.5 and see how it grows on me , it is good enough for me to want to dig into their previous albums.

Report to the Dance Floor : Karin Park's "Apocalypse Pop"

She already has two Grammy's in Norway and this is her fifth album, so if there is any doubt as if the six foot three fashion model knows what she is doing , this album is a resounding yes. The album opens with a driving pop song with rough and tumble beats pumping under the otherwise carefree vocal.My finance drew Lorde comparison in her fleeting listen to the first single off the album "Shine" which I can hear in her phrasing that sometimes rides the rhythmic line between singing and rapping on a you be be as broke as you want/ you can be as drunk as you like". The lyrics on this album are incredible and often explore her dysfunctional relationship. There is a smooth darkness that rides songs like "Life is Just a Dream".

The use of effects on this album is very tasteful and milk the most out of the sounds rather than try to create smoke and mirrors. Bjork is one of the biggest influences on this album a fact very apparent on "Stick to the Lie". Some songs will bring on the compulsion to dance like the thick groove in "Whipped Cream Sliver and Pearls". The bubbling gloom coating "Opium" doesn't elevate above what could be a Massive Attack b-side. Though it works on almost a power ballad formula Her songwriting chops show their maturity on  on "Human Beings" by taking the expand/ retract dynamic and fine tuning it.

"Deamons" is sublime on many levels , the honest lyrics, the dynamics. Park isn't Kate Bush, but she uses what she has impressively, on most songs each not it perfectly placed. The album sounds great from a production stand point, every thing is expansive when it needs to be. The sing songy "Hard Liquor Man" has almost a hip-hop quality to it, but most of this album is closer to trip-hop if we are going to really count genre straws. The surreal simmer to "Walls are Gonna Fall" has a stoned pulse to it. The harder shove of "Shake With the Devil" has an abundance of drive to it, I am not sure if it speaks to me as much as some of the other songs, which is surprising for any song with devil in the title to not do."Hurricane" teams Park with Pandora Drive. The layer vocals have a very Fever Ray feeling to them. The lyric are endearing, this sounds like something that needs to be played at high speeds on dark roads. Overall this is a great listen. Not the perfect album, but better than most so I'll give it a 9.5.





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Nadine Shah: "Fast Food"

So many of these new post-punk revival bands are jacking from Siouxsie, but they are only latching onto one element of what  she does.  Nadine might be jacking from Siouxsie, but at least it's a different aspect of Siouxsie that is a path less travelled. The album opens up in a more straight forward manner than I suspected. It still has air-tight song writing. The tension creeps more on "Fool". "Matador" finds her vocals reminding me more of Antony and the Johnsons. For the most part her knack for melodies is able to hold down the song , though when she strays from a certain hook I lose interest. "Divided" finds her having more of a singer song writer feel. The "I didn't ask you to need me" line is sung with an abundance of emotion, leaving you raw and tingly for the guitar to come in. This minimalist singer songwriter direction continues on "Nothing Else to Do". Her vocals sound great through out the album, she doesn't have a spotty moment on the entire record. At time her voice goes in a more Kd Lang direction than Siouxsie and it explores varied shades of gray some like "Nothing Else to Do" are reflective and lighter. So once you get over her voice then you take another listen and break down the actual song writing. There is more so some songs than others, though it's the emotional conveyance that is the albums most compelling quality. "Nothing Else to Do" finds some interesting sounds to weave around her melody, but it's not a song built as soundly as some of the others on this album.

Seems like I have heard "Stealing Cars" I think it was released as promo stream, or it might even be the first single, I would check , but really do singles count any more. Anyways I like the song as much as I liked it the first time. The steel drum sound show her knack for combining organic elements to paint her sonic pictures so beautifully and this song also high lights her ability to harmonize with herself. There is an almost Radiohead style of indie rock to the guitar to "Washed Up" that allows her pull the melody to throw against it out of a dark dream.  She continues to dish out more indie rock flavored fare on "the Gin One", which is one of the album more upbeat moments.

When it comes to songs with sparse accompaniment "Big Hands" holds it's ground the best with a sensuous melody drips over the effects that swell into actual instrumentation. "Living' which closes out the album has a more PJ Harvey strum to it and if a little more straight ahead than the other songs on this album. There is an interesting tone to album that juggles an androgynous longing in the lyrics and their delivery. I'll go ahead and round this album up to a 10 as there might be a few parts that did always grab me and keep, but they are out weighed by the moments that did wow me and I have no problem just keeping this album on and letting it play.

Lower Dens : "Escape From Evil"

All right I'm check out Lower Dens, a name I know with more than there music they just came up as artists related to War on Drugs. From the first song I'm on the better side of o.k. They are not goth, but only a shade or two happier than the National putting them somewhere in range of hipster apathy ridden Roxy Music. The synth and elctronic tinged drum beat lets "Ondine" wander in. I can an elements that is  not unlike the Shins mixed in . "To Die in LA" skips around almost like a Police song, but with more androgyny to the vocals. In fact I had to click around to find Jana Hunter is a woman. the album has some great guitar tones and the cross roads between the electronic elements and the organic is a very blurred intersection.

The smoothed out pop of "Quo Vadis" is easy on the ears , but not as gripping as the other songs as the inital surprise of their sound begins to wane. There is more of a chill wave electronic cruise control to "Your Heart Still Beating". This songs weaves it's way into a more interesting wave of sounds as it progress, thats not going to be  like many things you have heard before until it breaks back down into the vocals . "Electric Current" feels like it flows somewhere between Siouxsie and Gary Numan. The groove would be thicker if the bass was more present in the mix.The static synth chords help hold the tension.

There is a darker and looser feel to " I am the Earth". The drums are somewhat spactic in this giving it an jazz like feel. A sleek dancey future pop kicks in on " Non Grata". The guitar becomes more adventurous as well. This contrasts the dreamy gallop of " Company" that coasts along with a brisk swiftnees before the songs builds  into an odd rythmnic slant. The album closes with a brisk post-punk  pace that has far more ambiance to it.These guys and gals are onto something I am not sure that it hits me with the same flare that the War on Drugs does , but I will give this one an 8.5. Not sure it will make the iPod cut.

Damian Wilde:"Nouveau Noir"

Indie rock is getting darker. Maybe this coincides with a generation growing up so self aware of the precarious nature of their mental health. This is evident in the opening moments of Cape Town's Damian Wilde , who drips with a dreary desperation right from the onset of the album. The way the beat falls behind the piano riff of "the Umbrella Co. " it reminds me of Gorillaz. There is enough mope here to make fans of darkwave and post- punk happy without using the big G word here.

The electronic elements don't come in until the second song "Tempestous". The guitar fills in the gaps around his melody in such a way that I don't consider his approach minimalist. There is not an empty sound to these songs. Sure the arrangements might ebb and flow, but this is more like a more depressive take on the same sort of pop guys like Gotye create.

The sense of sparseness doesn't creep in until the "Green Mile" . The lyrics sound like the might be telling the story of a serial killer.  Wilde's voice knows it's limits. Rather than showcasing his pipes , this music is more about showcasing the emotional context of the songs.

While I like the darker croon on "Disco Shit" it was not what I expected from the title.This song comes closer to being goth in the choice of synth sounds and the vocal effects than anything previous brought to the table on this album. But they don't dance around the bat cave, there is still a pop smart sense of hooks in the vocal arrangements.

The guitar line to "Alive" has more in common with the Doors than the Cure on first listen, the line is very fine.  His voice is coated in a more subdued whisper. The transition into the chorus is more Love and Rockets  to me than anything indie rock by today's standards. This is not part of the goth revival, but it does havea depressed darkness to it fans of such will find resonating with them. I am intrested in seeing what direction Wilde would go on a full length.