Buy this CD from:
Insound

Rating:

By the time Interpol’s Antics hit #1 on Billboard’s “Top Independent Albums” in 2004, the so-called “new wave revival” was already in full motion. As time went on, bands like Bloc Party, Hot Hot Heat, The Editors, and the completely unimaginative She Wants Revenge have found stable homes, and bank accounts, on terrestrial and satellite radio.

I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness is another band that falls into this aesthetic, but, with Fear Is On Our Side, do so with a more intelligence than many of their contemporaries. This full-length debut, produced by ex-Ministry Paul Baker, is an album that moves past the obligatory Joy Division references and incorporates music from Spiritualized, Steel Pole Bathtub, and a little Echo And The Bunnymen.

Through their influences, the band develops their own sound. It is a sound that is particular, yet diverse. The album moves from the dance-friendly “According To Plan,” drops into the more atmospheric textures of “The Owl” and toys with the somber pop of “At Last Is All.” It travels from, and touches on, each of these differently.

A fleshy bassline immediately diagrams the structure for the bouncy “According To Plan” and sets-up for choruses of excited guitars. The track is thickened by the almost continual movement of interlaced guitar whines and an underlying bed of subtle electronics.

Conversely, “The Owl” is two and a half minutes of soft lush ambience. Carefully layered guitar slowly climb over steady, fuzzy beats. Reverb and feedback echo the movement of the song and further support its direction. This instrumental, with its increasingly brooding climate, complements the feel of the album while offering a fresh delivery on its sound.

“At Last Is All” sounds like a song played on one of Robert Smith’s guitars. The instrument piles notes and distortion in and out as the song progresses. A heavy bass softly bobs behind a pattern of high, bleak notes as the song continually reshapes itself through subtle movements. Idle vocals hold everything together. “At Last Is All” flirts with pop structures, but, with its hidden complexities, never fully commits.

This noncommittal approach is mirrored throughout much of the album. The recording is one that stays balanced. It supports a retro feel without sacrificing contemporary aesthetics and addresses a pop sensibility without abandoning individuality. Overall, Fear Is On Our Side is a safe, but smart, release from a promising band.

Reviewed by: Richie Corelli

Comments? Discuss this review in the forum