A dark and evocative atmosphere landing somewhere between indie rock and post punk with explorative lyrics steeped in occultism and held over the flame of experience.

9 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Goth, ROCK: Psychedelic



Details:
A review by legendary music journalist Mick Mercer from his online webzine, The Mick:

God forbid I should ever aim to please but I canât deny that after a weekend of more personal revelations itâs reassuring to get back to the music, and I have something wonderful to tell you about which you should put at the top of your shopping list (and craftily forge onto the top of anyone elseâs you can access).

Very cool, very interesting - a subtle blend of gloom and sensitivity brings a superior indie song writing feel into Goth territory, which usually creates something interesting. The playful, teasing drums that burst throughout ââ¬ËLife Is Brief, Life Is Longâ are equalled by gently shimmering guitar and succulent shadowy synth to really draw you in, while the ache in the vocals have a pensive quality which means youâre not going to have any egos crashing out spewing preposterous twaddle, although the lyrics rebuff too much investigation. Musically, it rises and glides wonderfully, then some burnished bass weaves through a slower ââ¬ËWeighed Against A Featherâ to beef up simpler drums. The guitar creates warmth behind pained vocals and thereâs such a classy crump to these drums you know the recording has caught them as close to live as is possible. It bulges with a quiet vitality, close in spirit to someone like Heartâs Fail.

Mini-surges push through the glory of ââ¬ËMercy Killingâ as they summon up their own energy waves, with some brilliantly guitar surfing over passionate but controlled vocals and together they built up to a tight climax that then meets the brightly seeping ââ¬ËRingingâ, as a more simple tone overcomes vocal self-recrimination in an almost relaxed setting. Then these lugubrious drums start to stir ââ¬ËPassageâ and tingling guitars remain clear and bold while the vocals move frantically from side to side, then soar. ââ¬ËThe Moon Follows Mercuryâ is polite, with beautiful guitar and bass once more offering a neat counteracting influence on circumspect vocal doldrums, and the riveting guitar really does start to staple itself to your head, as together they forge a brackish path which they drag you down, dovetailing neatly into the funereal stamp of ââ¬ËHangingâ but here the song remains open and strolls with real vigour and poise, assuming an almost placid strength, yet with a robust candour. Even when going into slow territory youâre never close to anything drowsy.

ââ¬ËAn Image In The Flamesâ is fantastic, as the instruments cautiously build and start to glow, peak then fall back again to a slow end in what is a superbly modest piece, then ââ¬ËClosing Inâ tickles itself up into a lightly raging up and down pattern, with a gnashing sense of defiant spirit, somewhat thrown sideways by a voiceover and then ending enigmatically, which is understandable. Here we have a band whose main core has worked in isolation for nearly a decade but now has a brilliant band starting to feel their way, and feeling it brilliantly as though they have genetically modified fingers.

Ladies and gentlemen we have a winner. Waving not drowning, but certain in sorrow.


-Mick Mercer

www.mickmercer.com