black tape for a blue girl - A Chaos Of Desire Album

If you are into grey, sad, beauteous music, the this might just be a perfect tape for you. If I were to compare it to any one album, it would be to THE CURE's "Faith", although their style is very different- it has that atmosphere music to dance to at funeral parties!
Side one opens with "These Fleeting Moments", a drifting piece, built up on an understated acoustic guitar rhythm which ripples like tiny waves as sheets of synth combine with harmonic female voice to create a passive, motionless feel, as of floating, of drifting on barely moving currents. "A Chaos Of Desire", the title track, swells into existance from the ashes of the previous track, another softly sweeping track, layers of keyboards drifting like Brownian smoke clouds in a dusty room while voice, partly hidden by the overall sound, adds to the atmosphere, a greyish brown fug hanging in the rafters while horns slowly call the tune to a conclusion. "Pandora s Box" is a lot more frontal, a full, although partly hidden rhythmic track which still manages to create an atmosphere, both of timeless moments - the moments between thoughts, and energetic, flurries of action, crescendos of emotion, all bound up in a catchy & memorable piece of music "Tear Love From My Mind" is another deep, dense thing, a vast mindscape of half-forgotten childhood memories, stored in some warehouse of human loss, a huge hanger full of the most precious treasures we nay never again find, Piano features in the miasmic mass of gentle sound over which JULIANNA TOWNS voice sings - as beautiful as first love, as sad as whalesong. "The Hypocrite Is Me" closes side one - opening on a slow but; distinctive, great grey tune, joined by a seemingly simplistic drum pattern which follows the tune as it reaches new heights of magnitude as OSCAR BERRERA creates another, more straining atmosphere, as of struggle, of an inner fight going on, It changes, ghost-like, eidetic, joined by chimes & VICKI RICHARDS' violin, which themselves blend into the huge mix. It here reminds me of THIS MORTAL COIL at their most atmospheric.

Side two opens with "Beneath The Icy Floe", which indeed has a cold & misty feel to it even on a warm Summer's day like today. lt also creates an image of great magnitude, of drifting amid strange structures, of passive movement outside time. "We Watch Our Sad-Eyed Angel Fall" again brings the atmosphere of Funeral Party to mind, a tearful piece of gradually moving music, with VICKI's violin adding much to both the structure & the feel of the piece. "One Last Breath" is another more formed track, based on more-felt-than-heard drum pattern with violin adding to the immense sound, scratching it's own unique signature to the sound while still blending perfectly with the song. "Of These Reminders" once more brings TMC to mind - another track to out-grey 4AD at their most nutria. It slowly drifts in regular washes, seamless and sublime, "How Can You Forget Love?" is a bit different, a more sun-kissed atmosphere, as it this dream-state were occuring while the body were washed in bright, warm, golden sunlight, the images themselves warmed & happier, still as lost to waking reality, but nowhere near as sad about it. "Chains Of Colour" reminds me a little of Virginia Astley combined with THIS MORTAL COIL circa the first album. SAM ROSENTHAL's piano is muted & edgeless, a soft, more mellow sound than usual, making a good vessel for OSCAR's vocals to ride. The album closes with "Could I Stay The Honest One?", another sadly beautiful track. drifting like gossamer threads on a slight summer breeze a sound which somehow touches you deep inside. JULIANNA's voice, J'ANNA JACOBY's violin & SAM's keyboard wizardry conclude the album with a typical slice of their emotionally grey sound.

Not an album to play if you're in a depressed or melancholic mood, but a full and rather wonderful sound. Most instruments are blended into each other so nothing really stands out from the mass - and yet it seems to work, giving it a big, ever changing sound. If you know their sound already, you will probably have bought it. If you're unfamiliar with them, I hope this acts as an introduction.

Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.