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White Light Generator = Digipak = (CD)
The album is divided in two by a spoken word piece rejecting all preconceived notions of self, presumably narrated by Änghede, before the driving rhythms of 'Northern Comfort' kick off Act II in style, in which the band is wonderfully backed by the piano and vocal skills of regular conspirator Daisy Chapman. 'Wake Me Up When It's Time To Sleep' continues this more sedate approach, a downtempo number with haunting vocal contributions from Belinda Kordic, whose incredible voice you can hear more of on the upcoming Se Delan record she has recorded with Greaves.
'Caring Breeds The Horror' features some creepy guitar and banjo interplay over a funeral procession rhythm, with Änghede's vocals only just on the wrong side of indiscernible. The simple fingerpicking of the wonderfully-titled 'You'll Be Murdered' soon gives way to another sweeping piece that manages to incorporate piano, trumpets without coming across as pompous or overdone; no mean feat!
'We Remember You' begins winding down the album with a beautifully placid track, marrying lap steel guitar and breathy backing vocals with wistful lyrics like "Dreaming of summer days gone, like a memory long forgotten...", their delivery infused with so much melancholy it'll have even the bitterest cynic welling up. The plaintive strums and piano of 'A Brighter Tomorrow' do nothing to dispel the heartache, each member of the band's playing so subtle that they sound almost ghost-like, each note lingering fleetingly as it passes by. It's a truly moving track, perhaps more so than anything this band has recorded previously, seeming to focus more on the personal than the political.
With Crippled Black Phoenix's ever-evolving line-up it must be hard to maintain such consistently high quality output, but Greaves manages to push himself and his collaborators further with each release. Whether you are familiar with his past work or not, start with White Light Generator, work backwards, and thank me later.
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Similar artists: MANDRAGORA, WOBBLE JAGGLE JIGGLE
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