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partlyfaithful lazarusunderglass
Artist: Partly Faithful
Title: Lazarus Under Glass
Genre: Post Punk / Gothic Rock
Release Date: 26th April 2013
Label: Danse Macabre


Album Review

London band PARTLY FAITHFUL has a fiercely earned live reputation, and come packed with a back history of pedigree. Formed by ex-SCREAMING BANSHEE AIRCREW vocalist Ed Banshee and future SAVAGES guitarist Gemma Thompson, the list of guest personnel alone is impressive. Members passing through the ranks have included Belle Star of NOSFERATU and LILYGUN, Simon Rippin of THE EDEN HOUSE and Murray Fenton of ARTERY and THE BATFISH BOYS. Their sound has developed into a fascinating mix of styles and genres, influences clearly there but a strong and distinct individuality emerging.

And so to new album release ‘Lazarus under Glass’, beginning boldly with an eerie and scratchy vocal, hovering over minimalist sounds. ‘Amen’, which follows, is a real statement of intent. Huge throbbing bass competes with squeals and squalls of Bauhaus-sounding guitar feedback, and the vocals are sleazy and mocking. This is Gothic Rock at its very best, dark and dank, the spectre of NICK CAVE hanging heavily over it all, Ed Banshee in mad preacher mode singing “And the Angels said yeh, and the Devil he said yeh” before an impossibly massive drum kicks in and ‘Amen’ is spat out with bile and venom. It’s breathtakingly good, and there’s enough tongue in cheek to match the coffin-dry humour of the aforementioned Mr Cave. A difficult song to follow then, surely?

‘Underset’ somehow manages to top it. A sinister guitar riff creeps and curls itself relentlessly around jagged bass and propels the song forward to a memorable chorus. The riff is the star of the show here, and Ed’s restrained vocal in the verses allows it to take centre stage. But as a whole this is a perfect dark pop song, try not singing along after the first couple of plays. It’s one of those rare things, a complete and self-contained world, borrowing nothing, existing on its own merits, and it has a joyful smugness to it, because the band must know just how good it is. What buoys much of this album is the inventive use of textures and sounds. Guitars are not allowed to simply be guitars, see the opening of ‘Hatchet’, and singing would be, well, just singing without the unexpected stab of backing vocals throughout. There is nothing predictable about the structures here, which makes it fascinating, more of an exploration than merely a listen. The whispered end to ‘Hatchet’ for example, ‘What weapon did you bring?’ is a spine chilling coda, taking you completely off guard.

‘Stop’ is a real stomper, post-punk guitars scrapping amongst themselves towards a fabulous ‘Oh No!’ chorus. A bone-shaking mid-section solo, more feedback and Mr Banshee declaring wearily ‘I won’t do this anymore’ round off an exhausting trip, all clocking in at just over three minutes. ‘Obsession’ rumbles into view like some demented sci-fi soundtrack, it’s got early BAUHAUS and CHRISTIAN DEATH stamped all over it, but manages to sound completely contemporary. Its thunderous chorus must be a real crowd-pleaser live, and it conjures up images of badly lit seedy clubs, where the walls perspire and the slick floor throbs as a crowd moves and pulses as one. And what’s not to love about that? ‘Scribbles’ is another solid song, less inventive perhaps, but the PIL sounding venomous spitting of ‘My sweet-heart’ and the headlong rush towards it’s woozy and wonky end make it another winner. In fact there is little deadwood here at all, a 13 song set maybe appearing too heavy to wade through, but the songs never outstay their welcome. Punchy, they come in, kick you in the groin, and leave as abruptly.

‘We are Insect’ sounds like it’s about to burst into SEX GANG CHILDREN’S ‘Dieche’ at the start, but falls happily into its own groove and is soon weaving its own dark story towards a manic and frankly terrifying chorus. About as close to defining modern Gothic as you could get. Which just leaves finale and title track ‘Lazarus Under Glass’. A song so spectacular it eclipses everything else here, which in itself is nothing short of extraordinary. Subtle and subdued at the start, how many songs get ‘piss and diamonds’ into a lyric? The darkness builds and draws you in, patiently toying with the melody, and lyrically it’s stunning. Ed passionately intones ‘drawing shapes in shifting sands’ which perfectly describes this black hole of a song, monstrous and devastatingly bleak. When it ends, there’s such a feeling of loss the only answer is to dip into it again, and get lost in those shifting sands. It’s an incredible achievement, and bodes well for the future.

‘Lazarus under Glass’, then, is an exceptional album. It doesn’t fail by putting its best songs at the beginning and the end, as many do, because there is absolutely no filler here. It’s a complete album, exciting and inventive, proudly nodding to its influences but then boldly shaking them off and presenting a totally immersive original sound. Faithful indeed.


Tracklist

01. Lazarus Rising
02. Amen
03. Underset
04. Hatchet
05. Collapsing
06. Big Bang Medicine
07. Stop
08. Wasting Ground
09. Obsession
10. Skin
11. Scribbles
12. We Are Insect
13. Lazarus Under Glass


Line-up

Ed Banshee – Vocals
Anouska Haze – Guitar
Chris Brown – Bass


Website

http://www.partlyfaithful.com / https://www.facebook.com/PartlyFaithful


Cover Picture

partlyfaithful lazarusunderglass


Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10





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