Cold Cave – ‘Love Comes Close.’ (Matador)
Given my effusive praise for much of what has come out on the Matador label, there may be regular readers who feel that forty minutes of bodily functions released on a CD bearing the Matador label would earn a four and a half star review on this blog. This review isn’t designed to completely scorch this…but may do slightly.
Having enjoyed the early mp3s I had heard a couple of months ago, I was really looking forward to this. This thirty minute, nine track album feels somewhat uneven. [Apparently digital copies have three extra tracks; these are not included on the copies sent out for review].Whilst there is some fine electro-pop here -and isn’t that timely in 2009 – there is some dross which lets it down. The title track feels like a bad re-write of New Order’s ‘Your Silent Face.’ ‘The Laurels Of Erotomania’ on the other hand evokes prime period electronic Depeche Mode with its’ catchy one line synth sounds. ‘Heaven Was Full’ sounds like the Sisters Of Mercy jamming with Yazoo.
There’s a lot of promoise here – but I feel that there’s more to be developed. I like much of this album, but despite repeated plays, I have yet to fall in love with it. I will be interested to see what their second album is like.
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Love Comes Close will be released on Matador on October 2.