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Given that it's been four years since the release of Mechanical Cabaret's debut We've Got An Agenda an evolution in Roi Robertson's music was pretty much inevitable & that's exactly what this much-anticipated follow-up brings. The 'trashy' musical feel of yore is toned down a bit here, being replaced by a more varied & polished style & while I'd hesitate to call it more mature, that is how it feels. A number of tracks should have wider appeal among the more traditionally-minded electro fans in mainland Europe (& particularly Germany, who, I have heard, have trouble relating to anything which can't be easily pigeonholed), among them the dancey "I Don't Know Where You've Been", "It Will All Come Back 2 U", with its dark &, sadly very topical, lyrics & the dynamic closer "Each Day You Die A Little Bit More". While this may or may not have been Roi's intention it can't have done him any harm on his recent European jaunt supporting Mesh. In fact, one of the sequences that heralds the opening of "Disbehave" is a dead ringer for that which opens VNV's Joy & while the voice effects & Roi's unmistakeable vocals soon reclaim the piece this is just one of a number of tracks that any electroclash fans should enjoy, along with "Alter Me" & "Give It To Me", the latter of which initially impresses through its EBM-strength sequencing. For all that, Roi still manages to stamp his mark on the album, not only through his vocals but with the lyrics which are, by turns, dark, witty, defiant &, in the case of "Cheap And Nasty", especially ascerbic & sarcastic, although, by sounding all the more laconic & detached, the devastating character assassination that forms the basis of the catchy synthpop opener "See Her Smile" is all the more effective while the spoken voice that sits atop the pacey beats & minimalistic background of "Blank Canvas" is reminiscent of John Foxx. Similarly " I Discover Love" pays appropriate tribute to the late Frank Tovey, resurrecting the 'clangy' sounds of yore whilst retaining the greater accessability of the new. The highlight, however, comes in the form of the epic "Don't Murder Me I'm Drowning", a totally unexpected piece that demonstrates how he's expanding the scope of his music, sounding majestic & stately & yet somehow tragic as Roi puts in a superb performance in opening his heart to reveal his vulnerable side. As good as it is, however, it's just one superb track on an album that's full of them, it far surpassed my expectations & sees this talented artist scaling new musical heights, great stuff! Carl Jenkinson |
