There are many women from the small screen whom gothic culture adore, such as LilyMunster, Elvira and Vampira, but today it is the iconic “MorticiaAddams” which coincidentally is the debut single from the London based electro-industrial band PinkPantherProject. Record label, TheCircleMusic, will be releasing the double album IntoxicatingEmbrace from members Uela, AlexK and EtherMu in September.
True to form, the electronics are there, up front, promising a cracking darkwave dance piece. Uela’s vocals are breathy, perfectly complimenting the subtle electronics and all lyrics are sung in German, leaving you somewhat intrigued.
The Circle Music have put together a rather charming music video consisting of cuts from TheAddamsFamily (1964/65) television show, which fits the track well. “MorticiaAddams” is definitely worthy of not only being played on dancefloors, but also in personal playlists when you want a bit of pep in your darker music listening. I think we will be watching this space when it comes to the Pink Panther Project as I think they could be doing some amazing things.
Mon ami, lend me your ears for I will enlighten them with the music of The AntoinePoncelet Band, in the form of the May single “Drowning Men.” The band is made up of members Antoine Poncelet (vocals), Peter Quilla (guitar), Mark McClemens (bass, backing vocals), Justin Wright (drums) and Greg Bullock (keyboards), with Ingrid Larsen (backing vocals).
Tendrils of keyboard delicately introduce you to the beginning of “DrowningMen” before we launch into the twanging guitar, leading into Poncelet’s beseeching vocals. The drowning man, if you try and save them, could possibly pull you under and it is also a metaphor for modern life, that can grab you and take you under the unsurmountable waves. ‘What would you do?’ demands Poncelet as the dark bluesy “DrowningMen” grooves on. So what would you do? Save the man or listen to The Antoine Poncelet Band?
The end of June saw the new single from the UK’s ParisAlexander and Eirene called “BloodLine” released. The duo often collaborate creating dark synth music and the best place to find their music is on Bandcamp.
There is no disappointment with “BloodLines,” from the pulsating synths that revolve building up the tension, spilling into Eirene’s exquisite vocals. There is even delicate vocal play between Eirene and Alexander and if you listen carefully a guitar also subtly creeps into your subconscious.
You could say there is tension in this track and maybe it is from the knowledge that even though we live, we are also in the process of dying. Eirene and Alexander are very good at creating sensuous music that can hypnotise the listener into moving involuntarily to the rhythm. “BloodLines” is yet another example of this prowess.
For us kids, of a certain age, 1984 was a time of huge musical hits, and the Summer filled with the sound of LauraBranigan’s “SelfControl.” Toronto’s JayDraper& the Subterraneans have revived the single, that was incidentally originally released in ’84 by Italy’s Raf, and now has been included in the soundtrack for the new horror movie MaxXxine. I guess this guarantees something a bit dark……
The original (Branigan) version was kind of a rock anthem with these big punctuations, followed by aahhhs, and this is something you should not expect from Draper. Draper has drawn on the electronic side of the force, while his singing is delicate and spidery, ramping up the creep factor during the verses. Do not mistake the delicate for weak as there is steel beneath, cold as the looped winds that sweep through “SelfControl,” and it feels like there is a grieving lament in the powerful chorus. There is also a bonus b-side “Ascending to the Moonlight City” and this perfectly fits the mood as an instrumental piece, darkly lit by synths, casting their gloom on grim streets.
Hearing this track with Draper’s vocals is a bit of a spin-out being so used to Branigan’s, as I am not sure if I have ever heard a male cover, so that is pretty cool. He has created an attention grabbing atmosphere , which one might even say wavers between euphoric and claustrophobic, and this seems to be enough to cause shivers down the spine in complete delight. Yeah I can still hear the aahhs, but this is such a great choice for a horror movie and I have to say that I listened to this one too many times….addiction is a terrible thing *happy le sigh*.
The end of the world might be nigh the way the human race is going, between the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Seven Deadly Sins. Pennsylvanian based MaliceMachine recently released the album “Act of Self Destruction,” showcasing the pent up fury of members Syn and Julie-X about the state of current world events, exploding out in what can be best described as a torrent of electronic rage. We asked the hive mind that is Malice Machine about the album and all the stuff….what stuff? Read on.
Welcome to the crypt of our sorrows that is Onyx, Syn and Julie-X of Malice Machine.
How did Malice Machine come into being and more to the point why?
We’ve always been a drum and bass team and spent a lot of time in various goth and industrial bands in NY before we decided to put our own project together. We went through our share of musicians looking for he right fit until we discovered we were best as a duo. Syn took over on vocals and after some thought we decided the music would have a more aggressive vibe. We decided on calling our project Malice Machine because it was an appropriate name.
Apparently Syn spits the venom and Julie-X is the eye of chaos, but could you explain your roles in the band please?
Syn became the vocalist because we just couldn’t find anyone suitable. He also took over all song writing, lyrics, guitar and studio production. Julie-X plays and writes the drums and also does the art and tech work so we have a mutually beneficial and productive relationship.
You originally started the band in New York City, but since then moved to Pennsylvania. How has this impacted on your music do you think?
NY was once a thriving scene but we left because the scene was dying and the cost of living is pretty high. We rented a small apartment with rats and roaches as room mates but worst of all, with the paper thin walls we couldn’t rehearse and rehearsal studio rates were expensive. So we wisely packed up and bought a house in Pennsylvania and now we can make all the noise we want. Writing and rehearsing is a pleasure plus the location allows us to travel easily to several states for gigs.
What is the industrial scene like in Pennsylvania compared to the Big Apple?
Where we live in Pennsylvania the goth/industrial scene does not exist. But in the cities like Philly and Pittsburgh, there’s some suitable clubs for our music. Overall the east coast isn’t the best location. We do better towards the west coast.
Your latest album is delightfully called “Act of Self Destruction,” and it is chock full of aggro tech goodness. Why did you choose that title as the all encompassing, so to speak, description?
We designed our songs to represent how we feel about our society and world are becoming dysfunctional and spiralling out of control. We’re on a path of self destruction, hence the title.
You have described your music writing technique as organic whilst also being industrial, which is very electronic. How does all this happen and what was it like writing this album?
In an era of music where people write entire songs using loops or premade elements that were written by other people, we create all our own lines, sounds and beats. Aside from this we purposely remained minimal with the vocals, giving Syn a more organic sound by using only delay and some reverb. As far as what it was like to write this album, we had an entire album written before this one but we threw it away because it felt like a continuation of our previous release. The songs just weren’t connecting well with each other and we wanted a more consistent style.
Tracks like “Delete Me,” “Damaged,” and “Desolation” are prime examples of the themes of bleak loss of hope and unyielding anger. What inspired you to write the album in the first place?
It’s hard to find peace of mind and happiness sometimes. A lot of people express their demons in different ways, Syn expresses his through music and that’s not such a bad way to exercise demons.
You guys are really DIY, and do everything yourselves including producing and mastering. Is it a challenge arranging it yourself and can you tell people what is The Morgue?
To be honest, we’ve tried working with other people for production, mastering, even collaboration, we’ve even hired professional mastering houses and spent a good amount of money only to be disappointed in the end results. In the end we realize we work best alone so the only thing left to do was to learn how to do it all ourselves. We’re still learning and that’s a continuing process. Of course all this implies that we needed to buy a lot of equipment to achieve our desired results so we built our own studio. Syn spends most of his time entombed in there, like a crypt, but “the Morgue” sounded better. Incidentally, we both once worked and lived above a funeral home on Long Island NY.
Do you guys have any particular tracks off the album that you are more drawn to, or particularly proud of?
Syn is sometimes content with a couple of them but sometimes he hates them all. Julie-X favors Hyena and Damaged but to her, they’re all good.
I cannot go past asking you about the Trans X track “Living On Video,” which you have covered and really given it a great makeover. It is an absolutely classic, so why cover this track and what was it about this song that made you think ‘hell yes, we need to do this!’?
First of all, it’s hard to find a good song to remake. All the best stuff has already been covered a million times. We did consider this song once before but didn’t feel it was going to work for us as a remake. But then Syn started evolving the concept of the song towards social media. Let’s face it we’ve all had cringe moments when looking at memes. Who knows what the hell some people are thinking when they post. That pretty much was the inspiration to actually attempt the Trans X remake. It just felt like the right vehicle to call out toxic media.
On that note, who are the acts and bands that have musically influenced you over the years?
Early industrial i.e. Front 242, Front Line Assembly, NIN, classic punk bands, some Black Sabbath, a few Nu Metal bands. To be honest we’re musically open minded and like a vast range of music from far too many artists to name.
Malice Machine is very much a live group, so what drives you to put yourselves out there in front of an audience?
We used to think live shows was the most important way to build up a fan base but in today’s musical climate, it’s more important to approach our music as a multi-faceted business and concentrate on building an online presence. We still enjoy playing shows because of the energy that feeds and flows between us and an audience. It also keeps the music feeling fresh. We also have some people discover us that wouldn’t normally be exposed to our music and that’s exciting.
This is the obligatory weird question…. if you were allowed to be little vandals, release the inner demons, and destroy something, what would you destroy and how would you do it?
Syn would say if there was a shiny red history eraser button, he might just press it. Julie-X will plead the 5th.
What is up next for Malice Machine?
We intend to be more prevalent online, building our Spotify presence, releases new songs and remixes and definitely more videos. We have some live shows coming up as well and besides working on Malice Machine, we have a few other projects we plan on doing. Lastly, Syn has been working on a stop-motion animation film for two years three quarters complete so we’re busy little creatures.
RobertBenaquista brings you Cucurbitophobia, the project so grim, it is named after the fear of pumpkins, and after sowing the seeds, he has reaped the new album called IV. Cucurbitophobia is a darksynth/neo-classical project hailing from New Jersey.
You have entered the time of nightmares where nothing seems real and all is covered in a pall of dusky sorrow. The fires burn cold in this hellish wasteland that is “IgnisSatanae,” dragging you into the shadow realm. “GaleofLucifer” is the quiet before the oncoming storm, an entourage of building anticipation of dark angelic release, ticking like a timebomb, never getting any faster, as if your doom means nothing in the whole scheme of things. The solo guitar sets your teeth on edge in opposition to the piano. You are now on the “SoilofBelial,” and the devil is going to welcome you. From within the cacophony, if you listen carefully enough, you might hear the voices of lost souls wailing in the distance.
Like something from BlackSabbath, the guitar holds sway, the creator of organised chaos and then, yet, there are periods of reflective electronic dismay, distant and disconcerting. You shouldn’t be here and the tension rises for whatever is in the dark is baying for your blood. The creature in the “Bay of Leviathan: Chapter I” calls out from the deep and it almost feels like sanctuary, a ray of light in the gloom. The piano takes its place, making you feel most uneasy, rippling through the surrounds, and into the murky unknown. Unlike the previous track, “Bay of Leviathan: Chapter II” starts so differently, tasting of gentle breezes and fingers of sunshine breaking through to the shimmer water’s surface….though is it almost a lament in a way, the piano plinks in a sporadic wandering, modern avant-garde style. Final track “Memento Vivere” continues in this vein, conjuring shadows of memories along with raising the ghosts of what is lost.
If you haven’t quite caught the drift yet, Cucurbitophobia is very much entrenched in the horror genre. Music that imprints on your psyche and tugs at your base human instincts that recognises fear and aberration. Why is the album called IV? It isn’t the fourth album. Curiosity abounds. Benaquista has said that the inspiration is from John Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” a poem about the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden… a loss of innocence that can never be regained and the full realisation that what we do not know terrifies us, captured in a mirror like reflection by Cucurbitophobia.
LokiLockwood has been a constant in the Melbourne music scene since the 80s, involved in both gothic and electronic genres. This has led to his creation of the label SpookyRecords, as well as starting the CreepyHollow studio. On top of all this, his most current project is the goth, electronic Velatine, where Lockwood has guest female vocalists join him on tracks. I can tell you now, Loki is one of the most genuine and unaffected people who loves what he does, so join us as we pick his succulent brains about his career, of course Velatine and why they are saying “FCKYOUALL.”
Salutations Loki Lockwood and welcome to the hallowed halls of Onyx.
Thanks Adele, I’m honoured to be invited.
Loki, you have been based a long time in the Melbourne gothic/post-punk scene, Can you tell us about your early years and the bands you have been involved in?
I was consistently playing in bands from my late teens to my late 20s. I have nothing really to show from this era, most has been lost in time, very different to now where every event is tracked. One band I had was called Blackburn. Someone sent me a link of us playing on a RMIT-TV show or something like that, I think might be still floating around. I did a stint playing with Ollie Olsen for his Orchestra of Skin and Bone album alongside John Murphy [Drummer, later in Death In June]. Even this is a hard one to find, it was pre CD days so it came out on vinyl, it’s still the only format you can hear it on, fortunately I still have my copy. I was in my mid 20’s and a huge admirer of their music. I know there’s a big part of this music in Velatine, the electronics of Ollie and John’s work, the noise, discordance, percussive elements. When Ollie became the music director for Dogs in Space we all got dragged into that. Quite the experience. You’ll find me in there somewhere. After that I played guitar in another band Practical Folk Music, we played a lot of shows in Melbourne and Sydney with bands like Box The Jesuit and Lubricated Goat, there’s a split single with Hugo Race that came out in Germany and a track on a compilation. But as I said, most of these bands are lost to time which is a bit of a shame, some of it was quite fucking cool. After all that and more I was pretty much over playing in bands by the end of my 20s as they often imploded just as they were starting to get going.
Melbourne has always had a fairly strong alternative scene, so how has this impacted on you socially but more importantly, artistically?
The Melbourne scene, it’s incredibly strong artistically. It always has been. It’s always morphed from place to place to survive. All I ever wanted was to be around music in this life and as I had a fascination with sound I started mixing bands to make money, later this became studio work as well. I worked with a lot of really, really great people for a long time and so that was sort of why I stopped playing as well. I exposed myself to so much different stuff by mixing. I was always attracted to the dark side, and it seemed to be there for the finding. I worked with Rowland S Howard for many years doing his live sound, that angular guitar thing and lyrics is one influence. Ollie, for that electronic / noise stuff and merging genres. Spencer P. Jones for that garage sound and what a songwriter. Well they all wrote great songs. I guess I was also influenced by the ones combining electronic elements with conventional instruments that were on the periphery in Melbourne, I still get called up to do live sound for Snog. Any music I was doing was behind closed doors and I never really got it together to get anything out until recently. Largely because I was doing all this stuff for a lot of other people.
As an audio engineer, you have your own studio called Creepy Hollow, so who have you worked with in this capacity and is it really that creepy?
It was named Creepy Hollow when we moved into this place 10 or so years ago. The studio is in the attic rooms of the house, the walls are painted blood red, there’s paintings and posters and stuff on the wall that are special to me, the rest of the house has taxidermy, antique furniture and cats. When we got the place I was really hoping it was haunted, so the name sprang from that. It was built in 1929 and has a bit of The Amityville about it. We’re the second owners and I so wanted to be entertained by their spirits. No luck there I have to say. The studio was really built to do Velatine so it’s largely a private studio. But I mix records here and do a lot of mastering so it at least pays for itself. There’s a section of it that’s soundproofed so I can do guitars here and yeah it’s an awesome vibe. People really enjoy coming over and working here [if they’re allowed] and singers especially love working in this space.
In that vein, you also run the label Spooky Records. Why did you start up Spooky Records and tell us about the label?
I started the label with my partner Jasmine in 1999. At the time I think it was the impact of the grunge / Nirvana era. A lot of the independent labels got absorbed by the major labels hoping to find the next big grunge hit. There just seems to be a huge lack for much smaller artists who needed help to get their music out. We started putting the feelers out and really it was Spencer P Jones that got it all going. We found out he had a record that was unfinished. Tony Cohen was the engineer so we decided to take it on and this was our first release The Last Gasp. So I guess we were one of the forerunners of the new generation of independent labels. We did albums for Spencer P Jones, Drones, Six Ft Hick, Gentle Ben, Digger and the Pussycats, Link Meanies side project bands Bakelite Age, Sun God Replica, the list goes on.
How hard is it finding balance and time for all these different roles that includes creating music?
It’s hard to say no to things but I’ve been lucky in that I have a part time job where I mentor students in the studios at RMIT, that helps handle the money side of life and allows more creative time these days, but I love writing so I just lock myself away most weekends and create.
Your most current project is the darkwave Velatine. How did you start up Velatine and who you have been working with?
It was something I always wanted to do, and as I said, I was doing it behind closed doors for so long. I discovered Ableton in 2018 after struggling with various modern programs for ages and I had an instant connection with it. It just opened up everything for me. It was like I could get the creativity out of my brain for the first time in years because of its fluency. When lockdown hit I’d been looking for women to work with, initially wanting them to do lyrics and and write vocal lines. As that became impossible I used the space to just get better at what I did, so I went down the road of making cinematic, gaming music which was the first record. Just hoping to build some sort of profile I guess while I was waiting for a singer to come along. That stretched into a second album and then after working with a few different women I came across Maggie Alley. By now I was writing the lyrics as well so we recorded a song together and it clicked. That expanded out into an album but then she wanted to concentrate on her own music so we played a show last year to celebrate it all and off she went. Late last year I was working on a song and for a second time reached out to Inga Liljeström, the first time I’d asked her, she was interested but not available. It just felt like she was the perfect voice for “Nothing To Do With You” and indeed she was, I’m immensely proud of that collaboration, and she’s so talented, I still feel the stars aligned.
Have to say that the last two singles have been pretty forthright in attitude. Can you talk us through the story behind “Nothing To Do With You?”
With “Nothing To Do With You” It’s about a friend I know, isolated at school by so- called friends, even put down by her family who told her women were not smart enough to run a business. But she always knew what she wanted to do in life but no one would give her a chance. Over the years I’ve seen her work hard, save her money harder and then become that successful business woman she wanted to be. Years ago I remember her taking classes at Circus Oz, that’s where the imagery came from to create the narrative, there’s so much colour in a circus to draw from. As I write this I think back to all the so called outcasts that were hanging around the Seaview Ballroom. I can think of so many that continue to make their mark on the world in their chosen, mostly creative fields. Maybe that era taught us a lot about self belief, a punk rock attitude. I’m sure there’s a lot of that era in there as well. So I write with the idea that the listener might see themselves in that story and make the story about them succeeding against all odds.
I had a little giggle at the new single “FCK YOU ALL,” especially with the death nell bells chiming and all this is actually about the mental health of artists such as musicians. What brought you to the point of writing this track?
A lot of my songs are really about optimism I guess. They’re often positioned within a negative context like with “Fck You All”. I thought I should explain it a bit when it was released. It was one song that developed quickly and the lyrics were really abstract. It’s the importance of self belief again, a reminder to myself this time, or maybe more for my friends, like Barb who helped on vocals. For those who go into battle with their own creativity. That whole “why bother” it’s a tough thing we play with.
I know it sounds like I’ve cracked it!! I’ve been looking at a lot of ways of how musicians can break through the noise. There’s just such an immense amount of music getting released and so I’ve focused a lot of energy on finding my audience. You can’t just put it out and expect people to find it, but then of course you release something, then you feel like no one has noticed it after putting in hours of work so you have to be resilient. In a way it’s a mantra to myself to hold fast believing in what I do, because I think if you deviate from being yourself, and copy music that has success you just become like everything else that’s around. Then you’re just some sort of phoney. So I’m creating music that I like, regardless of how much it’s noticed, I have to firmly believe in it and that’s the essence of the song. So yeah I’m telling myself to do this.
How would you describe your style of music and does composing come naturally?
I don’t even know what my style of music is. You said Darkwave, I guess elements from there, it’s a cross genre thing, there’s influences coming in from all directions. Post-Punk, Gothic, especially surrounding the darkness of the lyrics. Industrial Music, Industrial Noise, Orchestral, Electronica. It’s those genres I’m most keen on and so I smash them together and mess with them. Composing is a very natural thing for me, I’ve written hundreds of pieces of music in the last five years but of course not many will ever see the light of day. I’ve learnt that inspiration is actually hard fucking work. Then you have the lyrics to deal with. Once again, hard work, it’s lots of writing for me to get a song really expressing what it should be and I’m still learning the art. But I love that I’m always learning, always discovering the new.
I am always interested in what bands and acts influenced artists, so who influenced you, Loki?
The big influence is gotta be when I was young seeing a lot of bands at the Seaview Ballroom and other venues around Melbourne. Bands like The Cure, New Order, Gun Club, Birthday Party, The Creatures. All very raw music at its heart. Most weren’t great musicians when they started, but they made great music and became accomplished over time. I think it is probably the biggest influence. I wouldn’t say I’m a great player but I’m a good composer and of course your youth is a huge influence, so it sort of reflects back on the earlier question about what Melbourne is to an artist. These influences really map out the rest of your life in a way.
Who do you find yourself listening to these days?
Right now I’m listening to a lot of music on Spotify, I’m a new convert and that really feeds back to the rising above the noise thing that I’ve been looking at. Many of my peers gave out the message to hate Spotify, how it doesn’t pay artists so it was something I had no idea about. I finally set up my artist profile at the start of the year. They gave me a free trial and I just totally loved it. It’s the new radio, new discoveries, a place where musicians can own their own product and share it with the world and use that power to benefit their art. It’s something we really can’t challenge, you know, how much is paid out, but there’s artists who are totally using it to make an impact and even become self-sufficient. If you look at it in a different light it’s not as bad as people say. Fuck, it’s always been hard to make a living from music but the old school gatekeepers have lost their power because of this, that’s got to be a good thing. So I’m really trying to find a lot of new stuff in the sort of area where Velatine might fit. You find this stuff, you reach out to the artists and make connections and build community. I’ve got a playlist I’ve just started with lots of these finds and hope that I can engage people, to not only listen to what I do, but others making similar music. So it’s mostly electronic stuff, all of the darker genres, and heavy with female artists whose voices and composition blow my mind. Otherwise I’ll smash out an old favourite like some Laibach, Ministry or Siouxsie and the Banshees, that sort of stuff.
If money was no issue, what sort of video would you make for the track “FCK YOU ALL” and is there anyone you would have in it?
Probably some sort of parody of the “I’m Rich” hip hop clip, why is this a thing to aspire to? I just don’t get it? And I’m sure most of these artists are going into debt with their record labels to portray this shit!!! In mine we’d be travelling in beautiful old black Mercedes Limos. My friends and I, dressed to the nines partying by the pool of some amazing manor house, and women treated with respect, not as objects.
What is next for Loki Lockwood and Velatine?
The plan is to release a single every 2 – 3 months for the time being, most likely with a different singer each time. I’ve got 2 tracks done and these also have re-mixes that take the song in a different direction. I’ve also got a lot of material written ready to record so hopefully you’ll start to see more from Velatine.
On that note, spoilers sweetie… the next single is called “OrangeToBlack,” and you can’t get more Halloween than that!
Norway’s MayflowerMadame is back with a new single called “PaintItAllinBlue.” This is the second single off the yet to be released new album, Insight, out on the NightCultRecords label.
Photo by Astrid Serck
Looking at the cover, there is a hand with a wedding ring and the lyrics most definitely allude to a relationship where someone has given everything to another and it hasn’t been a healthy partnership. Their signature dark and heavy bass is present with the flowing dreamgaze guitars. The vocals reverberate sublimely as we are drawn into the song.
It is interesting that hands seem to feature so prominently visually for MayflowerMadame and it makes me wonder if it is about the act of holding onto a person or an ideal and the pleasure or pain that this can cause. “Paint It All in Blue” is blissful post-punk, holding you in a sea of forlorn and of course this is a beautiful thing.
MarkusMajdalani and JohanEckerström are the duo that make up Sweden’s darkwave act Hatif. In 2022, they debuted their album EverythingIsRepetition and there you can find the track “City Beneath the City,” which has been given a music visualiser.
The song eerily rings true of current events, countries enduring a state of war where the streets, houses, schools and everything people have ever known are obliterated in air strikes, searching for family and trying to survive. A man on a loop, walks down a street, surrounded by debris, towards the light while you listen to the dulcet tones of Hatif, “City Beneath the City” is a great track to revisit, and if this is your first time listening to Hatif, then you should check out their album.
Some of my favourite bands are based in the ephemeral shoegaze sound, and I am going to thrust before you Talking to Shadows, a four piece from Baltimore, who Onyx last reviewed when they released the single “Soma.” Band members, Cat, Ron, Greg and Alex, dropped the single “Valentina” on the 26th of June.
If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Cat’s singing, then you are missing out. Smooth and evocative, that only enhances the dreamlike quality, swirling around your ears along with the guitars. There is that wall of guitar noise that lifts you up and takes you away….all of it wrenching a little at your heart.
It would be a shame to try and dissect the lyrics, which have both a visceral pain and at the same time utterly poetic, meaning you should just sit back and just lose yourself in the dark depths of that which is “Valentina.” Cat and the lads are influenced by possibly the most wonderful dreamy guitar group ever in CocteauTwins and it shows. No, they aren’t LizFraser and Co., but then I would be disappointed if they were a carbon copy, and this is TalkingtoShadows making their own beautiful music.
Onyx Music Reviews 