Two full-length, track-by-track album reviews are the featured output this time here at DaveCromwellWrites. An overdue return to greatness comes by way of legendary creators and long-time friends of this site. It’s always satisfying when one can reignite feelings of excitement and admiration that an artist initially stoked in you. These moments are what you live for, and should never be taken lightly. Equally important is a brand new album from more recent contributors (to this site, anyway) who’s timeline of productivity mirrors the first entry. There’s a starting point for everything, and the focus here is on these latest works.
When the original “Pe'ahi” album was released by The Raveonettes in 2014, an in-depth review of it was conducted at this website. That actually served as the ninth full-length review of this bands work here spanning a time period from January 2009 through September 2014. The review writing done earlier (which goes back as far as 2003) is now lost to the wind and dead sea scrolls of now defunct hyperlinks. Post Pe'ahi (1), an epic 3,744 word review of their “2016 Atomized” album was published here in January 2017. Following that was an August 2018 one-on-one interview with the bands mastermind Sune Rose Wagner. After a long hiatus The Raveonettes recently released a much anticipated follow-up to Peahi, simply titled “Pe'ahi II.” DaveCromwellWrites now digs into every essential aspect of each track with recharged purpose.
True to the opening tracks song title, the album starts with horror movie sounding plinking toy piano notes on “Strange.” It’s a 1950’s style stroll progression before the primary forceful guitar chords commence to chug along with bass guitar in tandem. The familiar Everly Brothers-style blended Sune and Sharin vocals deliver opening lines “Whenever we try it's a waste of - my time – yeah. Whenever we fight do you feel it? You bring me to my knees and tears.” Melodic guitar figures follow, immediately underscoring what gorgeous songwriting this is. Wagner laments about losing someone to “a boy who looked like me,” pointing out how “strange” it is “to go from the other side to this.” It all leads up to an angelic chorus that states “when we try – can we feel it’s ok” – “and it feels just like love.” That euphoric moment is ultimately countered by sparser instrumentation and comedown sentiment “it’s a waste of you and I.” The tracks final minute is an ambient dreamscape of metronome clicks and hisses over a simple keyboard rendition of the melody.
Check it out:
Follow-up cut “Blackest” starts out just as mysteriously, this time approximating a jazz combo with busy free-form drumming and soft reverberated electric guitar. Pulsing bass notes soon begins and spoken word as if from a radio broadcast can be faintly heard. All of that is obliterated when forceful buzzing guitars burst into the mix, soon joined by a power-thump drum beat. One more layer adds on with a descending “detective story” guitar melody. All of that suddenly drops out leaving behind changeover “ooohs” and a stark rendition of the songs lyrics. “When I rise on my wave - the moon shows her face. A lonely dot at sea - a lonely girl coming straight at me.” The trademark Wagner long slithery guitar groove is never far away, and the one here is everything you could want. Cycling one more time through the lyrical passage, Sune’s guitar follows with a flurry of melodic lines against moody backing instrumentals and an eventual thump-n-bump drum beat outtro.
An official band lyric video accompanies this one:
A syncopated rhythm between driving guitar and stutter-stop drum pattern immediately kicks off third entry “Dissonant.” Harmonized Sharin and Sune vocals jump in, delivered quickly at one more alternating tempo. “Come and get beside her - just pretend you like her - this love is all yours to fake” is the opening, disillusioned sentiment. “I tend to harden up when our love is set to go - I wanna give it up for someone I don't know” completes the hit-and-run encounter. A musical callback to “Attack of the Ghost Riders” follows to much surprise (and delight). With that initial verse/bridge progression cycling though again, a quick stop deep bass buzz plateau is reached at the minute-and-a-half mark (and lasting over a minute) before it’s percolating build-up launches back into one more verse.
A classic, straightforward drum beat leads in the official lyric video enhanced track “Killer.” Melody kicks in by way of a tinkling bell sheen on its descending chord progression. Rough guitar chords slash underneath as dual sung vocals commence. While the verses are catchy in their own right, it’s the chorus that hooks you in immediately with the battle-scarred relationship lines “Kill for love, and make it so I don't care. Most of the time, I felt so alone.” After a second pass through it stops abruptly, with elegant piano notes and finger snaps in it’s place. Percussion returns, adding a steady current under the extended piano melody. Another subtle change halts that progression for brief arpeggio guitar notes, before returning to that relentless forward march. It’s an unusual (and unexpected) coda that measures half of the entire songs length.
A steady hard-edged guitar riff is the opening force driving next cut “Lucifer.” Motorik percussion joins in with measured pace, offsetting the guitars urgent nature. Softer higher range vocals spell out what appears to be a demonic fever dream. Bass guitar and more bottom heavy drums usher in the next passage adding a bit more grit and a touch of funk it it all. That is emphasized even further once the original hyper-drive guitar riff returns. Another more spacious audio section change includes lyrics indicating “Lucifer” is a woman who “never felt love” is “tired of all the fighting” and “wants to walk alone.” Cinematic in scope, the primary driving guitar hook once again moves out and open spaces emerge in its place. The tracks final minute is a blend of softer alternating guitar riffs, scratch-buzz percussion and ultimately deep buzzing synths.
Distant, chiming guitar ambiance is the deceptive fade in on forward charging rocker “Speed.” Sune’s vocals are pitched into a slightly higher register as he delivers loosely related strung together lyrics alternating between hope and defiant resignation. “My hope died down I can't explain” (negative)
“Somewhere I know that I belong” (positive), “Don't sell your soul you're young not old” (positive),
“Don't waste your time you're one of a kind” (more of a pep talk). True to the song title, it’s fast paced, tasty guitar lick driven, and while the percussion is hissy and somewhat buried, there’s lots of angelic background voices floating all throughout.
The percussion stops momentarily leaving only guitar fuzz to emphasize lyrics “Got hit by a car and emerged unharmed” (well that’s good) “A failure in life means a winner in hell” (what?). Other lines that stand out, like “I don't wanna die without having tried” (good advice) and “You're jealous of me for what I've done” (that seems rather personal and one wonders who that is aimed at). The final verse let’s it all hang out, with the lines “I belong to this generation of filth” (self realization), “I was pushed into life entertained by war” (we’ve talked about this directly interviews and related song reviews),
“we're pretty and blessed to have met with death (?!), “cause I know when he comes I'll take his hand” (yeah, I suppose, but don’t wanna think about that now – or ever – when it happens it happens – nothing you can do about it).
Reaching the albums penultimate track, “Sunday School” emerges in full motion from the get-go as a quick-breeze ditty. With emphasis on vocals and lyrical story telling rather than instrumental depth, it’s the perky, harmonized chorus that instantly connects. “What if you met him on a rainy day, he wouldn't get a word you say. This ain't no darling little Sunday school, cause he'd kill for love but not kill for you.” Bonus points for adding bell-chimes on the bridge section “and all the things that break you down, he never cared at all. Another time another place, he never cared at all.” That is follow by single throbbing tone, with distant voices as if coming from a far off radio. The final verse include lyrics too intriguing to ignore, with “fucked dates go to their graves” (!?), “young men end their lives” (negative), “young girls become wives” (positive).
Final cut “Ulrikke” brings back the harsh distorted guitars and thunderdome drumming for it’s abrupt shock-to-the-system intro. All that drops out quickly on opening verses that culminate with the line “make me indestructible as I am.” That intro noisy instrumentation returns, now sounding like an approximation of a train chugging down railway tracks. The second verse (same as the first) benefits from trip-hop style percussion and distinct, stylized recitation (and pronunciation) of the words. “Make me feel like finding someone - who can never do right and can never go wrong” becomes the catchy (if somewhat puzzling) refrain.
It's a wonderful album overall, and a reminder of the seemingly effortless ability Sune Rose Wagner has in writing, recording and bringing a record to fruition.
Connect with the band and find out how to acquire the album via this link.
Finally, at full track-by-track review of all 12 "Atomized" song can be found on this site here.
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Around two and a half years ago this site did an extensive review of Canadian indie rockers Star Collector’s 6th studio album “Attack, Sustain, Decay . . . Repeat.” That was the result of being impressed by their (and subsequently reviewed here) video single “Green Eyes” from fifth recording “Game Day.” Now the band is back with their just released seventh album "Everything Must Go!" Expecting nothing less than another power-pop masterpiece, DCW digs down into this latest output.
The album opens with overall title track “Everything Must Go!” along with a full video production. This title name is something you would see on retail stores looking to move all their merchandise in one last blowout. That doesn’t seem to be the case however with this band, as their meaning is more universal as in letting material things go (“cause you can’t hold on to it”). The track (and video) comes into view initially via mix-master drummer Adrian Buckley’s subtle backmasking followed by a propulsive beat. Slashing guitar chords jump in, delivered by Vic Wayne and Steve Monteith with
Tony Kerr’s bass locking to this progression that echoes The Who’s “The Real Me.”
Vic’s vocals are less Roger Daltry and more Alex Chilton in timbre, as he calls out for you to “come along for the show.” There’s an early “easter egg” for classic film buffs with the lyrical reference “Warriors, come out to play” (if you know the scene, you never forget it). Continuing it’s anti-materialism theme “we ain’t any richer than our memories,” “can’t put a price on feelin’ this way” and “you can’t buy tomorrow” leave no doubt as to what “must go.” In classic power-pop fashion, a blistering lead guitar break by Steve at the two minute mark is tasty indeed.
Check out this song and video here:
Second entry “Victory Dance” builds around wiry slide guitar and hand-clap-style percussion. A chugging mid-tempo groove, lyrics tell a tale of “we” (us) vs “they” (everyone who isn’t us) with an unconcerned “And we laughed” hook resolution. Big chiming guitar chords and fluid bass propel third track “Shining Example.” A higher-register backing vocal harmonizes with Vic on verses, while the change is solo voice intimate. The overall feel is closer to Neil Young and Crazy Horse than traditional power-pop.
Stacatto percussion, slithering bass and open note guitar figures lead in the subdued “Queen Bed.” Gentle female vocals (courtesy of Renee Suchy) join Vic on the understated “fight or flight” segment and following chorus. Those essential backing vocals become more prominent as the song progresses through this tale of returning to single life. Angular prog-rock accents provide instrumental change hooks for the torn memory saga “Black Nostalgia.” A particularly busy bass guitar line runs throughout, and especially stands out on the ethereal “Ah – Ahh” chorus. Vic drops his vocal timbre down low for the emphatic final verse where “the brutal truth” is addressed once and for all.
Referencing the Greek myth of Sisyphus, “Roll That Rock (Up That Hill)” bounces along briskly with contributions from guest musician Adam East (guitar, bass and vocals). Each lyrical burden is met with a definitive “And I don’t mind.” A soft plateau mid-song change section indicates that even if you “scream into the vacuum, everyone’s [still] a critic.” “Overblown” is an easy, breezy groove with lyrical focus on interpersonal turmoil. The question is asked “would you really be better off alone?” Frequent references to “the devil you know” describes multiple outcomes.
“Heavy On You” comes into focus via distorted buzz-fuzz and a-cappella vocals. When the mid-tempo cruncher rhythm comes in, a cautionary tale spells out how “a special kind of fresh hell - when you look at yourself - heavy on you and your mirrorball.” Bonus points for the thoroughly savory guitar lead running through the center. Bright acoustic guitar and melodic bass guitar melodies usher in the merseybeat tinged “The Best Thing.” Clever wordplay combining descriptive terms “bushwhacked,” “ransacked” and “gobsmacked” focuses on a spirited literary approach. Essential statement “the best decision you ever made was doing nothing at all” rings ultimately true.
Light touch drumming and prominent bass guitar provide instrumental backing for the vocally intimate “Static.” There is a simple yet inventive nod to the songwriters plight with the line “searching for a chorus in a never-ending verse.” Quick paced chunky guitar rock returns for the lyrically opaque “Section 8.” Ostensibly about the rental housing assistance program often referred to by that name, a penetrating guitar riff adds necessary melody between each line of the verses. Jungle thump drumming, slashing guitars and a hyperactive bass guitar pattern propels penultimate track “Shakedown The Breakdown.” As hoped for, a smoking lead guitar solo rips n’ rolls at multiple points throughout. Because when you come down to it, “We all need a gang in this cold town.”
The album closes on an adventurous direction for the band, breaking from their signature power pop style with “Your Version Of Me.” Written as a collaboration between Vic and long-time friend of this site Jody Porter (most recent review on his music here, with linkbacks to numerous others) the groove echoes Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.” Building off an instrumental demo Jody presented, Vic’s lyrics build from original intentions with the lines “You were banking on a new religion - a grift you kept on the sly.” The songs title refers to how everyone we come in contact with has their own personal “version of you” and how that differentiates somewhat among all of them. No one can know everything about you, as such only have their own impression of you. “Now, I’m free… and not your version of me,” becomes the definitive statement. It’s a gentle and introspective way to end an album that overall is loaded with one fine song after another.
Dig in to the album here:
Find out how to acquire this groovy power pop album at their Bandcamp
Four captivating new and recent musical releases are the focus here for this summertime DaveCromwellWrites. Extensive deep analysis is given to all aspects of songwriting, sound design and (where necessary) lyrical storytelling. The styles covered this time around include indie rock, nugaze. postpunk, ambient, dream pop, drone, ethereal and minimalism-experimental. Creating new works inspired by the pioneers in those genres that came before them, thoughts flow here from what is now being heard.
It was little over a year ago when this site became aware of an exciting new band based in Nashville, Tennessee named Hushhh. Following the release of their debut EP "Summer Medication," the group dropped a video for their track “In My Head” which garnered a detailed review here. Now they’re back with a brand new five track EP “Poison Glass,” surpassing expectations in every way. A focused DCW review is now given to this explosive new recording.
Opening the EP with the run-on-sentence titled “Youwon'trememberme,” a tone is immediately set via hyper-precision composition and recording. Speed-strummed guitars and locked-tight bass and drums support clear vocals riding over top. The spirit of early aughts power pop is imbued (think Simple Plan, Third Eye Blind, Good Charlotte) throughout both musical rhythms and lyrical theme. “Down in the pits, I could not see, I hid low and lived in misery” is how the chorus goes. Concluding with “I’d hate to have to leave - You won’t remember me.” It’s tough emo-boy angst set against harder edged sonics with near prog-rock like riff breaks.
Title track and single “Poison Glass” bursts forward via syncopated drums and power riff guitars. There’s an industrial buzz and sharp angularity on the chord phrasing that bears similarity to a band like Helmet. Vocals are different though, emphasizing smoother tonality and an elongated diction. Ruminating on the “waste” of carrying around sadness and “hate,” the distinct rhythmic change to a slower pace accentuates the inability to “find a key out of this dream.” At midpoint one more change occurs that suggests a revelation underscoring the prior request to “wait for me (that I hope to) crack these feelings that blind what I see.” The final minute is an ambient plateau that further implies resolution.
Third entry “A Passion For Sadness” starts out more sparsely with subdued tempos. Chime accents are place on key lyrical line ending words “take,” “stay” and “break.” An emotional build continues until just after a minute in, when a big dynamic music and vocal wash takes over. “Put me back together like you always do” is the plea. While this soft to frenzied style does tap the self-professed Smashing Pumpkins style, the vocals come closer to the alternative metal style of the Deftones.
Penultimate track “Stone Path” combines angular hard-edged rhythms with busy chord changes and punctuated lyrics. Pausing before the last word of lines is an effective composition technique. “I let myself - - - drown; Waves of - - - doubt; More lost than - - - found; I let myself - - - down.” Extended instrumental segments showcase cohesive skill among the traditional two guitar, bass and drums lineup. While the big hook “We lose all hope when gravity comes down” is what you’ll ultimately sing along with, the actual caution comes the title line included “Don’t step off the stone path, where heartache is found.”
The EP’s closing song (and single) “Tainted” begins with solo voice backed by simple guitar strums on the opening lines. Bass and drums slide in for the second round through, before full sheering buzz guitars soar in for emotional punch. The sparse instrumental and introspective vocal cycle returns, before lyrics “I’m going down the drain with you” trigger another gazey guitar burst. Despite the self-effacing song title, there’s hope in essential lines “Heaven’s a leap – Heaven’s a dream.” The songs final minute serves up an uplifting instrumental passage as a fitting end for this impressive release.
Listen to this high quality EP and find out how to acquire it here:
Follow the exploits of Hushhh via their Social Media on Instagram - Facebook - and through their Linktree.
Never one to let too much time pass between releases, Patetico Recordings label boss Tom Lugo is back with a new track “Loyalty & Blame” via his Heliocentric Overdrive project. A truly collaborative endeavor, Tom’s guitar and vocals are joined by Ian Falcon on bass and Lem Pidlaoan on drums. Recorded at his Studio in Havertown, PA, Tom produced, mixed, and mastered everything at
Laboratorio Soniko Studio in Middletown, PA. DCW now commences with a careful listen and serves up inspired thoughts on this tracks essential contributions.
Rising up out of a shimmering ambient wash, drums and bass soon lead in a majestic chord progression. Moving at a slower, more deliberate pace, the overall vibe would not be out of place on one of The Cure’s more cinematic albums (like “Disintegration”). Tom’s obscured, buried-in-the-mix vocals however, moves everything closer to My Bloody Valentine’s genre. One minute in and the first lift off is achieved via powerful layers of guitars, quicker change chords and slithering bass. Continuing the emotional rise, a plateau is reached where the instruments suddenly stop and only ambiance remains momentarily. Soon drums and bass lead it back to the songs fuller structure, with verse and chorus sections revisited with even more purpose. A powerful musical segment follows with bass guitar and drums providing sharp accents within the sonic swirl. One more fade (as if ending) before everything kicks in once again for a triumphant final minute coda.
Check out this grandiose track here:
Follow Heliocentric Overdrive and Patetico Recordings via their Social Media.
It was a mere four months ago when Sueño con Belugas band leader and 3 Robots Records indie label boss Héctor Caolo Alvarez introduced the first two tracks from latest record “Ataque con rayos electrónicos” (“Attack with electronic rays”). At that time those two songs “Velocidad” and "Mil Recuerdos" were given a focused DCW review. Now the dreamers of white whales are back with more cuts from this evolving recording. Once more into the fray, a deep listen sparks descriptive thoughts on what is being heard.
New entry “Love Evolves” opens the record with drone and melodic guitar figures overlaid on top. A driving bass emerges underneath, creating a counter-rhythm to the continuing guitar notes, before the full band joins in on this primary progression. Rising keyboard notes and wah-wah guitar enters the mix before powerful vocals commence from María (Malow) López. Two minutes in and a sharp turnaround finds the tempo shifting quicker as Hector joins in on vocals for tandem harmonies. A minute later, another tight turn accent bridge ushers in one more passionate Malow vocal segment. Precise instrumental breaks create momentary space before launching into a two minute vocal chorus and bold driving conclusion.
Another new entry “Flying high” is an easy flow groove instrumental that builds intensity via traditional guitar, bass and drums. Subtle layers are added on with each pass through the progression, and the overall feel is sunny and optimistic. Along with Hector’s obvious guitar work throughout, special mention goes to Gardy Pérez for his additional contributions on guitars and delays. Third new track (and fifth overall) “Portal” is a heavenly ambient piece that is solely built around atmospherics. In true Brian Eno fashion, the overall form is merely suggested, while still containing dense layers of sound. The album that comes closest to mind as a point of reference in the brilliant 1983 release “Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks.”
Check out all of these song currently available on this album here (including how to acquire it)
At the top of this year, experimental ambient artist Andres Alfonso Lugo returned to this site for a deep dive review of his Los Dientes Hundidos en la Garganta project. Those eight total compositions dubbed “DRONINGUITARFEEDBACKS” was fully covered here track-by-track. The musician is now back with a new lengthy piece “Posthuman Multiverse.” Although a fully instrumental work, the title suggests ruminations on theoretical and philosophical perspectives. With ears “wide open,” DCW digs in to the nuances of this sprawling ten minute audio formation.
A swirling hiss introduces the composition, as if rising out of an alternate dimension. Additional textures flutter in (and then out) of focus adding elements of movement within this overall shapeless form. With everything created out of (only) guitars, bass and loops, the sensation is not unlike Lou Reed’s controversial “Metal Machine Music,” although no where near as harsh. A minute in and the ambient wash pulls back, allowing a more structured, calming guitar figure as primary focus. The sensation now is calming, as if meditative. One could imagine floating slowly on a river, staring at clouds and losing all sense of time.
Andrés provides liner notes that speak of an “existence and identity” that is “no longer confined to a single reality.” These audio waves of sonic serenity here provide an expressive soundtrack to this conceptual theory. After five minutes in, lower tones begin to emerge underneath, adding harmonic structure to the floating sensation on top. As subtle elements gently cascade into focus, the vibe is very much Eno, Budd and Lanois (see the 1984 classic collaboration between those three “The Pearl” as reference). Approaching the final minute, a distinctive whooshing textures boldly enters the mix, joining an ever expanding guitar tones and voicing cacophony, as sound equivalent to “multiple planes of existence.”
It’s been a minute since DaveCromwellWrites covered a live show (well, last November to be precise). While all too true that the recent focus has been predominantly on recorded works (not always the case as densely covered live event were a common occurrence on this site, not that long ago), this current feature celebrates a dazzling, multi-performance show. Also included are two distinct interviews (something else that was once as staple here) along with some studio recording reviews as well. It all adds up to yet-another thoughtful and detailed probe into this thing we call “rock music.”
When it was announced that Live Nation was putting on an “Eighties Goth Prom” at House Of Blues in Orlando Florida earlier this month on May 3, the opportunity to catch this event was there for the taking. Headlined by world renowned Depeche Mode tribute band Strangelove, the lineup also included The Cure tribute Lovesong, Not Nine Inch Nails tribute to NIN and The Electric Duke tribute to David Bowie. Having established a prior working relationship with the multi-skilled Julian Shah-Tayler via his solo work, the occasion to see him do his Bowie show and as an essential member of Stranglove was too good to miss. In addition to the performance, an interview was arranged with Julian and all the members of Strangelove. That full discussion follows below, along with a review of their recently released album “Rendition.”
Based out of Los Angeles, STRANGELOVE-The Depeche Mode Experience is a dazzling concert event. Bringing to life the very best DM songs, they draw from the artists 40 plus year career with accuracy and authenticity. Under the guidance of Brent Meyer (a/k/a “Counterfeit Martin”) his portrayal of DM mastermind Martin L. Gore on stage is a joy to behold. Frontman and vocalist Leo Luganskiy (a/k/a “Ultra-Dave”) is both a visual and vocal dead ringer for the charismatic Dave Gahan. Julian Shah-Tayler (a/k/a “Oscar Wilder”) is no stranger to this site, having reviewed a number of his albums here previously. James Evans (a/k/a "In The Fletch") is the bands Andy Fletcher in every similar way possible. Chris Olivas (a/k/a "Chris-tian O-gner") is the quintessential drummer every band would love to have.
The Golden Ticket
Necessary item for a smooth experience
Sitting down with the band an hour or so before they were to perform on this Saturday evening, the Q + A flowed in a professional yet-casual fun filled exchange.
DCW: Getting right to the heart of the matter, where do you see your place in this huge rock and roll music landscape?
Brent Meyer: The Question is do we have any back story beyond being a tribute band entity, because everyone views us in that light – in the context of coming to these shows. I started this project 18 years ago, and some people who’ve followed me from those early days only see me in this context are surprised to discover I do other things.
DCW: It’s the “onion” concept where there is more to an individual than just what you see on the surface.
Julian: And much more to make you cry (laughter all around).
DCW: Leo, what else do you do when not at this? Do you have a solo project?
Leo: Yes, I do my solo work and also a couple of side projects. Something I’ve been pursuing over a decade. Coming from a teenage dream to be the next alternative metal artist. Combining the elements of songwriting and being inspired by bands like Deftones, Korn and an archetypal teenage angst. Other influences are more sophisticated such as the Swedish progressive metal band Katatonia. Focusing on a heavier writing style with the music, but the vocals are very song oriented. As an artist you kind of want it all. To be equally appealing to the common show business factors, but you want it to be beautiful to anybody. It doesn’t matter if it’s techno, synthpop, rock or metal, sometimes you get lucky and discover a band that makes you overlook anything you ever thought you might like. When I was growing up I was in to more electronic music, which is completely opposite to something that is post-punk or heavy music. Then I discovered the band Placebo and it changed how I think of any of that. It was so completely out-of-the-box and it was the right time to discover it. They’re all stylistically different but there is a mood that you feel. For me, it’s the mood and the atmosphere that the band is bringing that matters more than what style it is. So when you are creating something of your own, you end up taking bits and pieces from all of that, while still trying to be tasteful if you can.
DCW: It’s been well-documented that keyboardist Alan Wilder left Depeche Mode due to the lack of credit he was given for all the work he did in the band. Would you agree with that assessment?
Brent: Absolutely. He was basically uncredited at least as co-producer on every album he was involved in. The quintessential Mode albums that defined their sound for most fans.
DCW: When I listen to his solo project Recoil, I hear so many of those distinct audio qualities.
Brent: The sound had all the Depeche Mode signatures, but it moved away from a pop sensibility, that melodic songwriting core, it was more about the atmospherics and sonic landscape. He chose to explore that, and who knows what Alan’s songwriting capabilities might have been in the band, given the chance.
DCW: James, your role as “Fletcher” in the band has playing keyboards and singing back-up vocals. Which do you feel more accomplished at.
James: I think I sing better than play keys. My vocals keep me going while I’m playing one handed Fletch lines. The ironic part was that he had more keyboards set up than any of the other guys, while playing fewer lines.
DCW: I saw Depeche Mode play Giants Stadium in New Jersey back in 1990 with the Jesus and March Chain as support. That was an incredible show, and I believe it was right when Martin started playing guitar with the band.
Brent: It was pretty much right then, that tour and the one before, the “Music For The Masses” one.
Leo: Arguably that might never have happened if “Black Celebration” and “Music For The Masses” didn’t lead up to what they did there. You can hear that stuff in songs like “Behind The Wheel.” If you reverse engineer some of their songs – their callbacks – and what they ended up doing in the future – the melody of “Pleasure Little Treasure” is basically “Personal Jesus” in a way. It’s re-conceptualized with an entirely different impact.
DCW: Do you think that’s intentional, or just a natural occurrence?
Leo: It’s both. Coming from their integrity and style and some of humor about it. Sometimes they’re really mopey and dark, and sometimes they’re really ironic. There’s beauty in that, and keeps you kind of wondering.
DCW: Have you ever met any of the DM band members?
Brent: Yes, absolutely. Martin is a big supporter.
DCW: He likes you?
Brent: He’s spoken very favorably about us in press and print. In a fairly recent press junket in New York Dave was kind of ‘taking the piss’ about how much time he spent watching our videos online.
Julian: Leo and I both worked indirectly with Ava, who is Martin’s daughter.
Brent: I have as well.
DCW: That’s cool. I caught a show by Dave Gahan’s daughter Stella Rose way downtown in NYC a year or so back.
Leo: I’ve seen some of her shows and met her briefly.
Brent: We’ve seen her in tiny clubs.
DCW: And she knows what you do?
Leo: She doesn’t exactly what I do, because it was more of an accidental meeting after one of her shows at Pianos. She’s more involved with her peers and the new generation of younger musicians that might not know about all the older stuff.
DCW: Some do, some don’t. I was always curious about what came before I was alive. There was a period of immersion into 1940’s and 50’s jazz, inspired by Kerouac’s “On The Road.”
Julian: Brent’s degree is Ethnomusicology. He’s the nerdy center of all this.
Brent: We’re both kind of the conservatory of things, with Julian and his Classical Music background.
Julian: We’ve occasionally done shows with a U2 band and they’ll bust out the Passengers song “Miss Sarajevo” and when Brent does the Pavarotti opera solo there is not a dry pair of knickers in the house! (Much laughter all around).
DCW: At one time you were training to be an opera singer?
Brent: I never had any illusion that would be something I could make a living at, but I did want to pursue the training that afforded and follow the through line in terms of symphonic composition. It benefits in terms of arrangement, even though it’s all midi and electronics, it still all directly affects this. Alan Wilder, very much a classically trained musician himself, even stuck little sampled bits into the recordings. The chords that start “Never Let Me Down Again” references Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana.” There’s also Wagner samples, there’s Mozart Requiem, there’s all kinds of little easter eggs that he’s placed there in Depeche’s music. In fact they had a b-side of him playing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” straight up on piano, and I think that’s pretty cool.
Julian speaks to the audience
DCW: Let’s talk about your Strangelove recordings, specifically the “Rendition” album. Were you all in the same room when you recorded this?
Brent: Never! (laughter) Our original track and the Depeche songs were all done separately. The only one’s that had any of us physically together were when Julian and I did a live stream of all Martin songs and a couple of those are on the album.
Julian: “Sublime” is the song that Leo and I wrote. I had sent him a couple of tracks and he came up with something fabulous, vocally. We then threw it back and forth continuing to develop it, and then everyone put their parts on.
Chris: That track wouldn’t have sounded as good if I hadn’t gotten my drums on it the way I wanted.
Leo: That’s true. The ideas and construction were because of the combination between a very modern drum sound and a very live one. That’s why in certain moments you notice we kept the drums “naked” – a dry and clean sound.
Chris: When I got the general track, there was no vocals on it. There was maybe only the verse part, and a few other tiny parts to it. I got the vibe though, and put down a John Bohnam-esque beat. A similar feel to what I play on DM’s “Useless” and “Never Let Me Down.” There was a point where I wish I would have added a little bit more later on and do things a little bit different, but overall it worked out well. Eventually they started to cut things up and Leo added his elements of new electronics stacked on top.
Leo: Right. For instance some of Chris’ drum samples are more like a room sound, while others are from places that were bigger. You always want to go back and forth with the blending. Even back to the demos, where you like the original consistency, and combine that other sounds to make something truly unique. You don’t want it to sound like anybody else, and that’s what takes more time. When it clicks with everyone, is no longer distracting and it’s working, that’s when we say “yeah, this is us.”
Julian: I have to give a lot of credit to Darwin Meiners who mixed what we sent him, which was a lot of stuff.
Brent: A herculean task.
Julian: He did such a good job with it and made it sound like we might even be in the same room together to record it.
Brent: Which was definitely not the case. He had to craft all that together.
DCW: “Sublime” is positioned as the album’s tenth entry (with two remixes of it after that). The primary version is a guitar-centric, buzzy ambiance affair with forward drive drumming in support of Leo’s heightened vocals. The “thoughts of loving you/hating you” express universal relationship turmoil. “Let me in - I will disappear with out a trace - when i get what i want” becomes the emotional center. While “The pleasure and the pain - cuts me right out” suggests a release of personal ego, when experiencing the “sublime” of immersing yourself in the one you love. Heavy, chugging guitar leads a bold sonic conclusion that includes soaring vocals and elevated percussive elements.
DCW: Leo, do you write a lot of songs?
Leo: I think it’s safe to say “yes.” It’s an ongoing process for all of us. I can’t really call myself a “musician” (at this point) because you kind of have to be more well-known, but definitely ideas are happening all the time. Ideas, concepts, side projects – until something really clicks with a lot of people – this is when you become an artist. This is where people start putting you in a category “oh he’s a rock artist or a goth artist.” I think of those labels as something like winning an award. You can’t really give it to yourself, it has to be assigned by other people.
Digging deeper into the bands "Rendition" album reveals a treasure trove of audio delights. It opens with a wonderful re-interpretation of “Useless,” this time with emphasis on Brent’s sharp guitar figures coupled with Leo’s surprisingly fluid bass playing. The expressive lead vocals and precise harmonies from Brent and James are of course there. Julian’s keys and Chris’ drums also deliver at the exact levels the song calls for.
Ultra’s “Sister Of Night” leans on keyboards and electronic percussion to support Leo’s passionate vocals (with Brent and Julian background vox). “In Your Room” is essentially a solo track from Julian Shah-Tayler. He plays everything on it and does all the vocals. Having reviewed a number of his albums outside of this band already, the familiarity is not only in the song, but it’s overall production.
“Insight” comes from those “live lounge session” Brent referred to, and features his expressive vocals and Julian’s piano and backing vocals. The ability to bring this song to life in an intimate live setting is most impressive. Fifth entry “Mercy In You” flips the script with a solo piano and vocal performance from Leo. The “Songs of Faith and Devotion” entry becomes even more poignant in this stripped down form. “A Question Of Lust” comes by way of Julian back in his studio, building a solo version of this classic with all the tools and talents at his disposal.
Dipping back into their “live lounge sessions” Brent and Julian serve up an electric piano and synth extravaganza with the recent (2023) DM song “Soul With Me.” Brent’s powerful and expressive voice reflects the original’s beauty with resonance and reverence. Moving over to earlier era DM, 1985’s “Shake the Disease” features all the bandmembers (minus drums) with a stripped down entry. A near acapella version from all four vocalists, the minimal instrumental backing is all that seems necessary.
Final “rendition” is a solo vocal and piano entry of “I Am You” from Leo. Subtitled “Audition Version,” and given the short 1 minute in overall length, one wonders if this was an actual submission to gain entry into the band. Regardless, it’s beautifully done. The first “Sublime” remix comes by way of Julian Shah-Tayler’s recording studio laboratory. Extended in length, all the instruments from the original are stripped away and replaced by an array of synths and electronic percussion. Ambiance abounds with plenty of open spaces, allowing for Leo’s vocal track to stand out a bit more. Final entry is the second “Sublime” remix – dubbed the “Entre Nous Remix.” Stripped once again of all previous instrument, new keyboards and percussion tracks provide a bed for Leo’s lead vocals and the remainder of the bands backing voices. Both remixes are decidedly dance-floor ready.
Strangelove continues to tour throughout the summer and beyond. Check their Official Site for all the dates.
In addition to the Strangelove interview, a second one was conducted on this night with no-stranger-to-this-site solo artist Julian Shah-Tayler, shortly after his opening performance as The Electric Duke Bowie Tribute show. Numerous recorded works of his have already been reviewed here previously, and now the opportunity presented itself to interview the multi-faceted man in person.
DCW: Watching you play piano in your videos (outside of this band) you are very accomplished. Did you have classical piano training?
Julian: Yes, I was classically trained.
DCW: Yes, you also mentioned in a recent video interview that you were also on a path to be a doctor. At the same time as this, were you also getting piano lessons?
Julian: Strangely, my Grandmother was a music teacher, and she was very proud of my uncle who was a doctor. My mother is a lawyer, but she is also very musical. One year she won a Welsh music competition, and was very proud of that. So she would encourage me with music all the time. However, my family would have all liked me to be a doctor, but it just wasn’t my path.
DCW: When did you first start playing piano?
Julian: I was 5 years old. I loved playing instruments and doing musical things, but I didn’t particularly enjoy practicing.
DCW: Could you read the musical notation charts?
Julian: Yes, of course I read music.
DCW: At some point with the emergence with the 80’s synth sound and morphed over to playing these electronic keyboards?
Julian: I’m a little younger than that, so I didn’t really get into synthesizers until I joined this band here, Strangelove. Everything I did up till then was about recording studio work. Brent was previously describing how Alan Wilder would take pieces of orchestral works and include them. I did that as well, without any prior knowledge of what he was doing. I would take Beethoven or Stravinsky or Benjamin Britten and I would stretch my selections to make an orchestral sound for the stuff I did. I didn’t have any synths, only pianos so I would improvise in other ways. Like I would take the sound of a squeaking door, sample it and use that as a sort of keyboard sound.
DCW: At one time were you on a path to be a classical piano player?
Julian: I would have never been a classical concert pianist. I was, I wouldn’t say mediocre – I was good but not great. When you listen to Lang Lang you hear how spectacular and brilliant they are. I was always interested more in composing, and if you want to do that, you don’t become a classical pianist.
DCW: Early on you had the songwriter bug?
Julian: Yes. I wrote my first piano piece when I was nine years old, and my first song when I was 14. I needed to be self-expressive, that was very important to me.
DCW: When did you first make the move to the United States?
Julian: I came over with a band named Whitey, who I co-wrote a lot of stuff with. We had songs in “The Sopranos,” “Breaking Bad” and we did very well. We went on a tour with Peaches that was really good. So, that’s how I ended up in the USA.
DCW: You originally grew up in Leeds, UK?
Julian: I was born in Leeds, but didn’t grow up there. I went to boarding school in Durham, which was the basis for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter world. I then went to University in York and later moved to London when I was old enough to do the whole thing with music.
DCW: You’ve been a solo artist from your earliest days, but you also do these other projects.
Julian: I like collaborating with people, and especially with very talented writers. If something like Whitey comes along, it helps me learn. The same thing with Leo here in this band. Another I’ve worked with is Tiki Lewis who has really spectacular stuff. If I find people I like working with, that is a welcome diversion. However, it will never be my focus beyond what I do – it will be just another thing.
DCW: It sounds to me like you’ve gotten a number of songs in films, television shows and/or video games. Is that something you put out there to be found, or do you have people contacting you for specific projects?
Julian: Both – all of those things. Currently I’m working on a tv script based around my music. It’s my story, and is a written 13 episode arc. The pilot is fully written, and the next 12 episodes have synopses.
DCW: Do you have the people in place – the contacts, to bring this to life?
Julian: I had all that before the global shutdown of 2020. A couple of production companies were interested in making it. I currently have one production company who is now interested and I’m collaborating with over the next couple of months to bring it to fruition. We will make it happen because I’m fairly confident the person I’m working with has the means to do it.
It was truly a pleasure to finally meet Julian in person, as well as all the other wonderful musicians working on this night.
Also performing on this night was an amazingly accurate The Cure Tribute show by the mesmerizing band Lovesong.
This show was the closest thing to attending a Cure live show, without it being the actual band! Frontman Rusty has got his Robert Smith down in not only sound, but all the physical movements diehard Cure fans have come to know over decades. In fact, the whole band is a precise, well-honed machine that reproduced every song brilliantly.
Even before details were hashed out with contacts in Depeche Mode Tribute Strangelove, a spot at this event was secured via Lovesong’s “win a ticket to the show” contest running on social media leading up to the event.
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Even though ultimately not needed, the gesture was most certainly appreciated (and told them so in a brief chat after the show).
The unanimous consent among anyone who has experienced their show is they are the premier Cure live show out there (other than the actual Robert Smith and company).
Listen to this clip of "Just Like Heaven"
Who doesn't love the achingly beautiful "Pictures Of You"
Or the sheer uplifting joy of "Inbetween Days"
Perhaps it's time to go for "The Walk"
Or get lost in "A Forest"
Nothing captures the balance of doomy wonder than the instrumental passages of "Fascination Street"
I'm glad I got to see "The Cure" this year!
Lovesong continues their tour throughout the upcoming days as well.
Dave Cromwell has been writing about music since the dawn of the internet age. In addition to the steady flow of features here on this site, he has been a regular contributor to The Deli Magazine (both Print and Web) since 2010. With numerous Print Issue cover features and weekly contributions on the Deli website, scores of artists have received the Cromwell point of view. Along with ongoing contributions to this site and The Deli Magazine, Dave has written for Dingus, My Social List, The Waster, Spin and Rolling Stone magazines.
