Since the last album it seems Annie Rainer has been replaced by Veronica Yakoleva in this richly textured Electro Gothic mainstay of the Russian scene, but nothing has lessened the quality, indeed the mood has darkened if anything during the deeper musical moments, making fir an album capable of luring you into secretive passageways every bit as much as propelling you into some giddy, knobbly dance shenanigans. There’s a real crossover appeal they have going on here, where all they lack is a couple of speedy numbers.
‘Save Me’ is a flamboyant instrumental slice of encroaching noir threat, while ‘Lines’ immediately ups and flounces around, and moves into euroclub action where the female vocals flood in to offset the grizzled male variety, although the music has a pretty tough exoskeleton. ‘Suicide Virgin’ has the elegant Roman Rain adding his stylish vocal touch as things draw in close and emotions palpitates over steady electronic anguish.
‘Illusions’ is angry, clumping and hanging back in fear of the grasping vocal shadows, grunting ‘you are my sex object’ in a manner bound to scare even immoveable objects.
‘Clockwork’ is a lithe piece of stippled electropop, synths blinking and winking, vocals arching off into the clouds, the music coyly layered to enhance the mood, setting up further undulations throughout. ‘No Way Back’ cunningly moves onto a sharper beat which is all vibration and hunger, the synth occasionally bubbling on top as the vocals dip and dive around the obstacles. The tune falls away and regroups in a muted, mild fashion which allows its gradual return to be furtive, then bold. In total contrast ‘Happiness’ starts on pretty keyboards and then slithers on an icy bed of percussive sediment while the vocals corkscrew into eventual oblivion.
‘Sad Girls’ is some urgent electronica, where the rhythm spurts and seizes, as the vocals slip in and out, as it works to a restful close, with ‘The Ticket’ acting as a proper end, quite chintzy on the synth and commercially assured vocals, but the crisp also allows a serious mood to be maintained, so while it’s ultra-accessible it still catches your imagination in the easy flow. Then there’s three remixes of ‘Lines’ by De Falshe, Haloed (Halo?) Ghost and Human Prototype, mostly accentuating the harder elements.
If you find any Indigo Kids point them in this direction pronto.
Mick Mercer