Fresh from a spate of soundtrack work, Death and Vanilla come hard with this new album. Hard in a soft kind of way. Like ice cream on a summer's day. Fire Records are calling this one "magnetic dream pop-noir" but they're selling so who's buying?
There may be a flaw in the iris but the opener is a languid "all the leaves are brown" and hopefully that won't ruin it for you. "Let's Never Leave Here" might be a good motif for listening to the album, in a wild meadow with a massive wall around it. "Mercier" and "Eye Bath" grab you in a lover's clinch and hold you 'til hypnosis sets in.
The second half is at least the equal of the first. "The Hum" is ethereal and as with other songs rolls along courtesy of unobtrusive back beats. "Nothing Is Real" illustrates how strong the arrangements are. No rush, no worry and the moments that could perhaps be edited out to fit more tightly to a three minute structure are perhaps where the most interesting things abide?
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On the whole the vocals are quite hushed but can be picked out which adds to the dream-like quality of the work and encourages immersion. I need a few more listens to work out why the last track is called "Wallpaper Pattern" but I have no problem with that. If comparisons are your thing then maybe Cocteau Twins' haunted elder sister might help?
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