| CRITICS:
"Eerie
and majestic" and "Wonderfully
creepy!" "The
ten tracks are as atmospheric, idiosyncratic and darkly enjoyable as Balderson's
film-making." "Mixture
of David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and a coupla tabs of LSD." "Songs
about the darker side of life, love and nature, Balderson vamps his way
through them with equal parts goth authenticity and Andrew Lloyd Webber
theatrics" ENTHUSIASTS: "Beautiful
music. I think it's dreamy. I really mean dreamy." "Very
intense, I'll probably have nightmares." "You
fuckin' genius son of a bitch. I love it." Ponyboy
Magazine, Canada (Print) This is the second album by Steve Balderson, a director of films (including his upcoming release Firecracker, with a cast ranging from Dennis Hopper to Jane Wiedlin (now there's a range!). This CD sounds like the unholy child of Swans, Suicide, Residents and Love and Rockets . It is electronically oriented, but with churning, delayed guitars and a sort of intimate, whispery but ominous vocal style (that was the part that reminded me of Love and Rockets, in a good way...). It has moments of great beauty, but in a dark mode - this is NOT the record to put on to lull your children to sleep (if you don't intend to have to wake up and run to comfort them shortly...). Another thought that occurred to me is, if David Lynch had sung his songs instead of handing them to Julee Cruise to do on her "Floating Into the Night" LP, it might have come out like this (it should be added that female vocalist/actress Amy Kelly contributes to three tracks here, including co-writing 'Ditty' (the radio song - this is very relative...), and does a very good Jarboe/Ms. Cruise impersonation...). Disturbing,
moody and shivery - I like (though I'm still rather glad I didn't play
it after getting home on Hallowe'en, having picked it up at the Post Office
that afternoon... :) ). Suicide
Blonde |