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blaqkaudio onlythingswelove
Artist: Blaqk Audio
Title: Only Things We Love
Genre: Wave / Electro / Industrial / Synth Pop
Release Date: 15th March 2019
Label: Kobalt


Album Review

In 2007, accidentally I listened to ‘SexCells’ and I wondered if it was truly made by guys from AFI! The level of my music excitement was indescribable. Eaten by my authentic interest towards this genre, I’ve been following the evolution of this band through all these years, happily accepting new material or being a little bit indifferent after listening. But Davey and Jade never left my ears and my music hunger unsatisfied.

Balancing between dark and light, the guys have chosen twelve among sixty-nine written tracks for this album. As Jade mentioned in an interview, he had chosen a different approach to the record and finally added guitars on the BLAQK AUDIO tracks, bringing some analogue vibes to the dreamy Synth Pop kingdom. ‘Only Things We Love’, as an older brother of previous album, makes total difference in sound, vocal presentation and light, airy mood. Less devilish and dark lyrics - more repetitive, monotonous chorus to stick to on the discotheque.

Main single ‘The Viles’, foregoing the album, gives a very dim glimpse of what is ahead of the listener, even if you are a fan and have proper expectations. Referring to the black and white old-school gothic visualisation and even allude to BAUHAUS’ timeless video ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ in the video that accompanied the single, the rest of the tracks bring the sense of bright and happy atmosphere during the first listening.

Despite the integrity of the album, a variety of electronic subgenres appeared on tracks that can’t leave one’s ear indifferent. Here we can hear beats of Retro-Wave on ‘Unstained’, dreamy Future Pop on ‘Muscle and Matter’, “something borough, something blue” and melodic on ‘Caroline in the clip’ - distant aftersound of latest AFI master sound, tear-clean Synth Pop on ‘Maker’, spiced-up with guitar electro beats on ‘Summer’s out of sight’. ‘Ok, Alex’ definitely is entitled for a song to stick in one’s mind and to be on repeat. The song sounds like a potential hit to burn dancefloors down and a refrain will make your feet move even in your kitchen. It sounds like back to the roots, to the ‘SexCells’.

Last three songs on the album give a sense of trilogy. Almost homage to the electronic music of the 80s, ‘Dark Arcades’ fades into Industrial, frosty notes of ‘Dark times at the Berlin wall’. As the voice of Davey dies away at ‘Matrimony and dust’, the album gets its shape as a holistic, accomplished object. The word “epic” wouldn’t be appropriate for the description of the album, but a mature, solid piece of electronic music will get the job done.


Tracklist

01. Infinite Skin
02. The Viles
03. Unstained
04. Muscle and Matter
05. Caroline In the Clip
06. Maker
07. Summer's Out of Sight
08. OK, Alex
09. Enemies Forever
10. Dark Arcades
11. Dark Times at the Berlin Wall
12. Matrimony and Dust


Line-up

Davey Havok and Jade Puget


Website

https://blaqkaudio.com


Cover Picture

blaqkaudio onlythingswelove


Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 9
Total: 8.5 / 10




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