| |
|
|
|
No sooner have Angel Theory & Temple Of Tears put Australia well & truly on the electro map than the duo of Aaron Potter & Daniel Brunet have come along with another promising debut that, given that it contains 6 new tracks & 2 remixes, I'd call a mini-album (there's too much original stuff for it to be an EP). The duo list Dismantled, Wumpscut, Velvet Acid Christ & NIN among their many influences & while the vocodered vocals of both "Torn" or "Run Down" prove how important Gary Zon is to their sound this is, overall, far less aggressive than many of these choices would suggest, opting for a more darkly melodic & at times somewhat thoughtful feel that straddles the border between darker electropop & lighter EBM. The vocals often bear a strong resemblance to Bill Leeb (so it's no accident he makes the list, too!), particularly on "Scarred", where the gritty guitar work also proves its worth in contributing to this track's harder edge. That they display their influences so obviously does, to some extent, hamper their efforts to really shine although by developing the darkly emotive side of their music they're already reaching out for more individual realms. This has already proven to be one of their strengths &, while I'm convinced that their best work is yet to come, it's sure to take on even greater potency as the duo gain in experience & expertise and while they might never be the latest dancefloor darlings (although the superb Angel Theory remix of what was already their best track "Blue" & Jammynewt's electronica-styled reworking of "Ghost Beside You" should go some way towards fixing that!) it's well suited to deeper listening experiences & that, in turn, ought to enhance their longevity, as should the number of fine tracks that are waiting to be discovered here. The aforementioned "Blue" is foremost among them, boasting a memorable chorus that provides something of a contrast to the relatively quiet verses while the extended atmospheric opening that allows the closing "Alone" to explore the melodic possibilities more fully is another step in the right direction, proving that the duo definately have what it takes. All they need to do now is to develop their skills more fully in the future & then they could produce something really special but, for now, this is a pretty decent start. |
