Record #1016: Curve – Dopplegänger (1992)

Somehow, despite my constant digging and delving into the annals of pop music history, I am still discovering seminal releases, even in my favorite subgenres and eras. When I first heard “Horror Head” in the shoegaze subreddit a few weeks ago, I thought it was a recent release until I dug deeper and found out that Curve were members of the original late 80s/early 90s British scene that birthed Lush, Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive…you know.

But unlike their peers, Curve got much cozier to electronic influences like dancepop and industrial. The massive walls of guitars are paired with drum machines, samples, and Toni Halladay’s lovely melodicism, creating a genre chimera that transcends its era.

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Record #1014: The Cure – Songs of a Lost World (2024)

Man, did I get really into the Cure at the right time or what.

Long time readers will remember how long my road to Cure fandom, which trekked from detached respect to casual enjoyment to an explosive burst of superfandom just last year. Across that time, I have mourned many times that I didn’t get into them as a teenager, when their brand of emotional rawness would be the most potent.

But as it turns out, Robert Smith & Co. have a really great handle on middle aged angst as well. Songs of a Lost World offers a profound sense of mortality and gothic romanticism set to as archetypal a Cure Record as could be devised. Continue reading

Record #1013: Chelsea Wolfe – She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She (2024)

Chelsea Wolfe has been a ubiquitous character in metal circles for a while now. She’s collaborated with artists like Converge, Deafheaven, Emma Ruth Rundle, and so many more. Her 2017 record Hiss Spun featured performances from Troy Van Leeuwen of QOTS and the one and only Aaron Turner of Isis, Old Man Gloom, and Sumac.

And if this is your point of reference to her catalog—as it was mine—her newest record, She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out could come as quite a shock. While Wolfe’s delivery and songwriting are mostly familiar, the sonic palette is almost entirely electronic, replacing thick guitar riffs with bristling synths and aggressive drum machines a la Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails.

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