The Phantom Carriage – Skull exposed to March rain

Rate:9/10

This is quite an extra ordinary release. I do like the way it was edited – with four pages of extra artwork and very decent cover it is a thing that invites you warmly to listen to. The music itself is also a bit out-of-there. There are nice, lyrical ambient, spoken word voyages, overlaps with the folk songs reminding me of Bonnie Prince Billy. It’s hard to put the album into a genre, but I suppose that’s the way the beauty of it comes. Personally, I prefer the folk ones ober the electronica, so I will distinguish a cappella Blood, and a very sentimental Hawthorn Tree, however one cannot neglect the rest, especially a nine-minutes long Folly, very much in Philip Glass/David Bowie collaboration style with a country guitar twist or extremely psychedelic Three Wishes. Well... electronica covers most of the album, with its end being a very M83 Skull exposed to March rain. It is skillful and neatly produced, but I’ll wait for the whole folk The Phantom Carriage album – really, they can’t be wromg there.

Stay cool,

gz.

Sonic aliance - Engage

Rate:4/5

There is something poppy about it
Which is not bad. I didn;t like cursing in the chorus, it spoils lyrics and an overall mood of the song. It is a song - it's melodical, vocals are good and it has a nice choir in the chorus, there is a bridge, decent verses, everything. It definitely got it, but the production is a bit amateurish, a thing that spoils an overall impression to a large extent.

song;s site

This is my 201 post

Hip hip hooray!!! Two times one hundred exceeded!!!

Level 21 - Facial features

Rate:4/5

It does rock
Good keyboard sound, rich arrangement, simple, but powerful and catchy guitar riff, a sensible composition including - I'm surprised myself that I dig the track so much. It is created by an evergreen NIN or even MM formula, but it does engage a listener. Distorted vocals annoy a bit here, but if a skillful producer worked on it, we would have something really industrial instead of Cher like vocals (it's just for some seconds, but still it spoils a mood). Regardless of these little drawbacks, the composition impresses as a really recommendable thing.

song's site

Lord Numb – Comfortably Numb EP

Rate:9/10

Now, that’s an EP to cherish! I did like all the tracks there, beginning from extremely New Order like A question mark for a face through even more similar Stackridge and experimentally ambiental A song for the numb to electro clashing Webcore, webcore. The whole album has a great dose of self-consciousness musical irony, a quite professional production and catchy riffs (unfortunately, it’s quite minimal, so no melodies). The only drawback I sense here is lack of vocals. I think lyrics and a good singer would give compositions a more complicated texture and greatly enhance the overall quality. By this only my humble opinion, of course. Also, the cover being nice and not hideous, taking under consideration the growing standards of netlabel design it is somewhat cliche. My overall impression, however is more than positive.
BTW – the album is released under the banner of dedpop, a very interesting, rock-folk-indie oriented netlabel worth checking out. I think in the nearest future I will report more both on Lord and the netlabel.

take care,

gz.

FANOE - Only you

Rate:4/5

An interesting song
This one has a lot of rock energy in it. I miss the samples in arrangements, a staple thing for an industrial band in my opinion. The band sounds like industrial-metal bands, basically it's like Ministry rehearsal, not exceptional, but not phony either.

song'site