At first, I can’t say I was too sold on Austra, but there’s something about ‘Feel it Break’ that gets under the skin after a while. Sure, some of the tracks are little more than very standard retro electro, the likes of which is ubiquitous at the moment, and has been for a while now. Elsewhere, though, the same instrumentation is used to altogether more impressive effect, with stylings reminiscent of early Depeche Mode. Katie Stelmanis’ operatic background is strongly in evidence in her dramatic vocals. It’s well suited to the arch gothic tone of their stark, minimalist electronic sound and serves to set Austra apart from their contemporaries – at least to some extent.
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Opener ‘Darken Her Horse’ is a sparse yet strangely rich and atmospheric slow-burner.
In the context of the album, the single ‘Beat and the Pulse’ works rather better than I had first thought, casting a shadow through which the mesmeric beat cuts through, while ‘Spellwork’ is magnificently glacial.
As a whole, it’s by no means a stunning album, but it’s definitely got enough moments of quality to make it worthwhile.
Austra on MySpace
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