Esben and the Witch - Violet Cries (Matador)
This Brighton-based band sort of crept onto my radar at the beginning of this year as I started to take notice of the blog buzz that included a few phrases that perked my ears right up, particularly "goth-pop" and "Pornography-era Cure". Yes, I could definitely see a need for more of that in my life, thanks. Plus their album was being issued here in the States by Matador, a label I've long come to trust, even well after all the hipsters abandoned them. The label is almost always guaranteed a spot or three on my year end list it seems. And they may pull such a feat again this year, but it won't be this album. As opener "Argyria" built its full head of steam, I started to get really excited, thinking this was really going to hit the spot for me. Yet, just as the song built to that glorious moment when someone like Robert Smith would have let loose with some spooky wail to draw us into a world of misery... the song kind of tailed off and fell apart. Disappointing, but it was the first track after all, maybe this was just a teaser for what was to come. Instead, as I got deeper and deeper into the disc, I realized that instead of being a teaser, "Argyria" served as the perfect summation of the album as a whole - lots of creepy mood, dynamic atmospherics, but absolutely nothing when it came to pairing these with a memorable tune. There are a few moments that make for some unsettling background music, "Marching Song" (particularly when paired with the off-putting video) and "Warpath" among them, but little that stuck with me even after multiple listens. I get what these guys are trying to do and I think they are halfway there, but next time I'd love to hear them come up with some actual songs to finish off these moody crescendos.
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