| Artist |
| Sophya |
| Title |
| Words & Sounds |
| Format/Cat |
| CD |
| Label |
| Out Of Print Records |
| Style |
| Goth |
| Date of review |
| 26th March 2012 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 7/10 |
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Originally from Israel but now based in Amsterdam, the duo of Sonya Rozenblum & Idan Karutchi have put together this vinyl/download-only release that brings together 14 tracks recorded & released between 2000-2011 although, if you didn’t know that, it could easily be taken as a complete album in its own right.
The Sophya sound is based around Sonya’s ethereal, exotic voice & synths & Idan’s guitar which seems on such tracks as ‘Desert Heart’ & the short ‘Third Wish Pt.1’ to be influenced by the instrumental bands of the 60s such as The Shadows, strange as it might sound, but here it is altered & placed in a totally different setting in a manner that seems to add an element of the everyday into an otherwise mysterious, evocative dream setting. There is a definite influence of 80s goth in places, particularly the earlier tracks with the opening duo of ‘More’ & ‘Another Day’ proving reminiscent of Siouxsie & The Banshees & even The Mission but the music is given a more ethereal mood by the lashings of echo that permeates the whole affair while some fine piano work permeates ‘Captive Beauty’ before ‘Downstairs’ again sees the band spinning a mysterious web of words & music, like a waking dream given musical form. Taking this particular aspect to its logical conclusion is the closing ‘Pale Blue Moon’ which is executed so perfectly, with its phased guitar & bewitching voice that it’s hard to imagine any other song that has evoked its title so perfectly with a dark serenity that makes this an album for relaxed & contemplative listening, preferably late at night with the lights either down low or non-existent. The first hint of change comes with the scratched record effects that set the scene for ‘Art’ where the uneven rhythms add an almost medieval feel while the heavier guitars on the chorus verge on dark rock, almost. From here on in, the album does take on a more varied approach with some effective synth work & Idan’s vocals giving ‘Sixteen Rings (For A Memory)’ a plaintive feel that is more down-to-earth & less dream-like & this becomes more pronounced hereafter; the feeling cannot be denied but there’s a definite ‘real world’ feel to the up-tempo albeit lightweight numbers ‘Desire’ (which is a new piece that will appear on their next album) & the rougher, more authentic-sounding ‘Fifty Four’ where the brighter-sounding chorus sees the band at their most upbeat. This is even the case on the languid & gently unfolding ‘Blossom’ that separates the two & where the massed vocals, gentle guitar & piano make for a sensuous feel that, at over six minutes long, gives the track an almost timeless feel that allows the listener to really become lost in the music. The slightly shorter ‘The Games They Play’ achieves a similar feat again returning to the gothic styles of the earlier tracks with the constant guitar & mysterious voices being built upon, layer upon layer in a manner that is hypnotic in it repetitiveness & enthralling in its gathering momentum whilst retaining the trademark Sophya sound.
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