Self proclaimed (well by her PR) as the Italian answer to the magnificent Zola Jesus release ʻThe Spoilsʼ, gothic enchantress Mushy has recently released her album 'Faded Heart'. It's certainly not one for the faint hearted, an album so depressingly gloomy and sinister that it would not be advised to be on your iPod outside after dark, unless you get your kicks out of walking home feeling like your life will end at any moment.
Drenched in a nightmarish haze of darkness and melancholic ambiance 'Faded Heart' is a ghostly combination of the aforementioned early ZJ material and the recent stand-out LP by The Soft Moon with heavy emphasis on looping-repetitive synth beats and an icy, desolate drone.
The entire album seamlessly flows into one menacing and stark atmospheric experience, one I could see playing out on a low budget Film Noir / horror soundtrack (in fact Mushy has created a series of macabre visuals on her youtube channel to accompany them already). The lyrics delivered with droning spectral vocals take you beyond the grave; from "Burn Me", "Burn me // I want to escape // Don’t be afraid // I’ll be gone”.
The result is an intoxicating cocktail of dark romance and death, one which takes key elements of the 80's dark-wave scene and transforms it to a brilliant lo-fi experimental success. One of my favourite releases of the year. 8.5 / 10
Mushy - Losing Days by Mannequin Label
Mushy - Faded Heart CD/LP MIX by Mannequin Label
I may have just found my new favourite record label in Mannequin, the next two artists I listened to have been amazing too - that's for another time - order from them here.
No comments:
Post a Comment