Title: The Hidden Agenda (Re-release)
Artist: Attrition
Genre: Darkwave
Release Date: 30th October 2009
Label: Two Gods
Album Review
This album is a re-mastered 1993 offering from the UK Midlands based Darkwave electronic giants ATTRITION. As such it was always bound to face challenges and to offer wonderful surprises. I think 'Lip sync' was a bad choice of starter track for this album. It gives one the impression that it's going to be one of those plodding techno pop efforts that everyone has a CD rack full of and I find I'm disappointed with this as an opener, although sound is good and it's competently played. 'Agenda station' starts with some atmospheric crackling radio reports in French and is far more interesting, soon livening up to some good electronica, but is largely unremarkable as a track however well executed. Track three is 'The Deadline' with a much harder and directed feel to it and things are improving for this album. I like the tougher edge and more aggressive texture.
'This Great Design' is altogether better all round. This track feels as though someone has really put their soul into it with a gentle wailing soprano backing vocal and a brooding male centre line. A very lovely track! 'Sister Teresa' is unfortunately back to a sort of electronic pop that I'm finding is really not doing much for me, and although I am at pains to express that it's all performed flawlessly, I'm just not feeling it as a track. Computer-esque noises launch us into a hard edged driving and catchy track 'The Silent Mind' creeps into your head and stays there. I really like this; it's dogmatic and unrelenting with some nice little orchestral interludes. Track seven, 'The Cage' is probably one of their better known tracks and I like this. It's got a nice line in soprano vocals going on in the background and some interesting contra strings.
Another well known track up next, 'Mercy Machine' is a discordant masterpiece with a thumping drum line that ticks all the boxes, feeling threatening and desperate and as though it's hit its target perfectly. 'The Next Day (Re-visited)' sounds initially as though its not going anywhere much but I found I liked this track. By this point the overwhelming impression that I'm left with is that the male vocalist (Martin Bowes) has a fantastic atmospheric vocal talent with his half hissed, half spoken lyrics. The music is fine too, but a lot of tracks for me are missing that spark that really sets them apart. However the ones that do capture my attention do so in a big way and 'His latest Flame' is one with discordant synths, a great electronic beat and more of those great sinister vocals that Martin does so well. 'Lip Sync (Reprise)' I'm afraid only serves to irritate me after such a good track, but, and this is a big BUT, the track after that 'The Third house' is awe-inspiringly good, with a clanging Hammer House of horror style intro, fabulous vocals and a wonderful arrangement. Utterly fantastic!
'A wing and a Prayer' continues in the vein of creepy and inspired and I'm very happy with this last track. It the sort of soundtrack you'd have to a really interesting nightmare and as such I'm well content, preferring this bands ' out there' work every time over the poppy electronica that sometimes arrives. There is a huge talent here and this album manages to capture it in spasms perfectly so you’re left awed and amazed. It also captures a lot of run of the mill electronica and I'm frustrated and bemused at how the two can go hand in hand from the same artist on the same album. Overall this album is well worth buying, because even the tracks I didn't personally relish are well produced and executed, but the rest that I did are truly superb.
Tracklist
01. Lip Sync (Xenophobia Edit) 5:37
02. Agenda Station 4:14
03. The Deadline 4:09
04. This Great Design 4:54
05. Sister Teresa 4:34
06. The Silent Mind 3:58
07. The Cage 4:18
08. The Mercy Machine 5:14
09. The Next Day (Re-visited) 4:15
10. His Latest Flame 3:06
11. Lip Sync (Reprise) 3:58
12. The Third House 4:38
13. A Wing and a Prayer 4:07
Website
http://www.attrition.co.uk/ / http://www.myspace.com/attritionuk
Cover-Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8 / 10
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