Rex (http://www.rexrex.com) reminds me of the only Los Angeles that I knew, when I visited the city during the mid-'80s. Although some youngsters might compare the dark, sultry pop/rock on here to Evanescence (the only point of reference to female-led, black-clad mainstream Gothic dance these days), Rex reflects longingly to an L.A. that sadly doesn't exist anymore.
It was the L.A. which was ruled by KROQ, the New Wave powerhouse of the time. Although KROQ is still alive and strong, it's a pale shadow of its once mighty self. One can imagine Rex having grown up with KROQ during the '80s. The influences are not subtle: The moody sexiness of Siouxsie Sioux (especially on "Empress"); the Missing Persons-styled hiccup vocals of "Marionette"; the ghostly guitar riffing of Concrete Blonde on "Torn."
Twenty years ago KROQ would've been all over this record. And they still probably will be since the group knows when to turn up the guitars, such as on "Racing," which is about as "Modern Rock" as Rex gets.
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Perhaps it's the '80s nostalgic in me; I prefer Rex when she is really pushing old school. Her honey-sweet voice is well-suited for synth-pop, and "Dirty Dame" and "Who Am I" are almost like Soft Cell with a chick. There's a layer of gloom and doom in the atmosphere; however, it's more for style than intellectual depth - and that is SO L.A.
Combining the flamboyant rush of glam with the kinky thrills of New Wave, Rex produce a postcard of paradise from a lost, much-missed world. Bravo.
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