There's a super distant quality to the bleak and angst-ridden vocals. The album is heavy on bass in a way that you don't hear so often these days - it reminds me of the 80's, back when there were all those killer bass players that were super-integral to the sound and grooves - Kira and Mike Watt, for example. Sounds great! Acoustic guitars and lots of industrial-tinged, epic, minimalist tribal/gothic drum pounding that reminds me of European neo-folk bands.
You Don't Say, the second track on was wollen sie mehr? would have made a killer old school skaterock song, with a fast-tempo, herky-jerk rhythm and aggro vocals.
The third track, "love song" comes off like political punk meets loner-psyche. The frail, disconnected quality of the vocals recall Maitreya Kali.
Things fall apart on the "huxley hit parade", the album's only misstep, the song features an impotent drum machine beat and repetitive guitars underneath a collage of tired soundbites.
Star Collector comes off like something Neil Young or Gord Downey might write if they suffered from severe depression and lived in a grey, drug-addicted city that rains steadily for 9-10 months of the year.
The second last track, Bank Account features the same distinct Kettle Black bleak sound with pained, aggitated vocals.
"Exit" ends the album on an hopeful, pretty note that's way too short to give the listener any confidence that the future looks bright.
Though the sound wanders to a few different places, the album remains nicely consistent. The darkly, cynical vocals are a constant thread that tie the record together. Also, there's a bleak and hazey blanket of depression that covers the nine tracks and could serve as a perfect portrait of Vancouver's east side.
This is a killer album for the disaffected, disconnected, alienated and depressed. It's probably impossible to find in stores so: www.capitalpunishment.basepair.org
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