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Review: 'In Letter Form'
'Fracture. Repair. Repeat.'   

-  Album: 'Fracture. Repair. Repeat.' -  Label: 'Metropolis Records'
-  Genre: 'Punk/New Wave' -  Release Date: '20th May 2016'

Our Rating:
The band’s press release lays it all out there and for some, the context could be a make or break deal: Citing the works of The (early) Cure, Joy Division, Bauhaus, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, Interpol et al, the blurb claims ‘they produce a sound that echoes the past, haunts the present and is constantly in the future.’ So much hype while trading on nostalgia, or a pitch for a band who genuinely evoke the dark spirit of the post-punk era? The musical evidence suggests the latter, and once again, I’m struck by just how much the early 80s loom large over the music of 2016. The emergence of Interpol, Editors, White Lies et al a decade ago was not a mere fad but the trickle that prefaced the opening of the floodgates. Not that this should be a cause for complaint: this year alone has witnessed the arrival of many great albums in the gothy / post-punk vein, not least of all the latest offerings from Alaric, Mayflower Madame and Suns of Thyme.

The album launches in with a dense swirl of heavily processed guitar: flange, chorus and delay all filtering a rich valve sound that layers like smoke over a throbbing bass and thunderous drum track, and immediately, it’s the early 80s: the stark tension of Joy Division and the antagonistic energy of The March Violets are channelled to full effect here, but with a twist of early Interpol and the psychedelic hue of The Black Angels, there’s a contemporary edge too. Eric Miranda’s vocals quiver with tension and angst-filled energy, and he sounds like a man on the edge.

Without wanting to devote an entire review to references, the spirit of Editors circa ‘The Back Room’ flows through the fractal guitar of ‘Won’t Get the Best of Me’: ‘I’m waiting to die,’ chokes Miranda lugubriously as he channels an affecting blend of defeat and defiance.

‘Wait Now’ calls to mind ‘The Cutter’ by Echo and the Bunnymen, but with the grinding density of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, while elsewhere, ‘High Line’, ‘Reflecting the Rain’ and ‘111’ work the vein of New Order’s earlier works – think ‘Everything’s Gone Green’ and ‘Thieves Like Us’. It’s all in the strolling basslines and icy synths. Oh, and the blank monotone vocal and crisp, clean guitar sound. The samples sit a shade awkwardly, and if anything date the music far more than its musical heritage.

But in drawing comparisons, I’m by no means criticising: all of the artists I’ve mentioned are artists I have a huge admiration for, and In Letter Form compare favourably to each and every one of them. In Letter Form have assimilated myriad influences and distilled them into a dense and potent and anthemic cocktail of post-punk, goth-tinged rock. The murky production is pure 80s and adds to the atmosphere of the album. In fact, it’s integral: the songs are good, and that’s a fact, but the delivery and execution are what make them work. In terms of delivery, it may be pure Interpol, but there’s emotional depth in the yearning of ‘Edison’s Machine’, and ‘Terror (is a State of Mind)’ is a high-octane, bass-driven snap of adrenaline wrapped in steely synths.

However steeped in history ‘Fracture. Repair. Repeat.’ is, its strength ultimately lies in the sustained tension and the quality of the material.

In Letter Form Online

  author: Christopher Nosnibor

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In Letter Form - Fracture. Repair. Repeat.