Making comparisons within music in order to portray an acts genre, style or indeed attitude is a cheap trick used all to often by music journalists all over the world, who are incapable of encapsulating the said acts ‘spirit’ through there own words and emotions. This ultimately leaves ones perception of what the band may be like as unclear and frayed around the edges. So, with regards to Cold Caves new release ‘Love Comes Close’, think Ian Curtis takes on disco with Casiotone For the Painfully alone’s Owen Ashworth, popping round for mid-day tea, and we can begin.
The album sets off slowly and mournfully, with a monotonous synthetic loop acting as a backdrop to Caralee McElroy’s equally distorted vocal layer. Although the opener does not hold much in the way of a hook, it does bring us naturally into the title track.
Track two raises the tempo slightly with a more frenetic electric drum beat as the interweaving, trippy-edged, synth layer heads closer towards a disco style-melody.
As the third track ‘Life Magazine’ bursts its way through there is an understanding that the opening tracks make a bit more sense. The song provides a far more euphoric undercurrent to the vocals than has been heard previously, and you begin to get the sense that this is where the spirit of ‘Cold Cave’ lies.
‘The Laurels of Erotomania’ and ‘Heaven Was Full’ come and go without leaving much of an impression, while the wonderfully titled ‘The Trees Grew Emotions And Died’ makes an attempt to reach out and grab you, but soon looses its grip.
Track seven comes along in the shape of ‘Hello Rats’ and not for the first time while listening to the album do you feel that there is a mismatch between the pop synth come bubbly instrumentation and the mournfully timid vocals.
The penultimate track of the record, ‘Youth and Lust’, does not attempt to break free from either of these characteristics but does manage to find a more suitable link between the two. One of the best tracks of the album the song appears to draw influences from trance and disco, while the droning vocals never become mundane.
The album draws to a close with ‘I.C.D.K’. Without presenting something new the song does endeavour to take the record out on a high which in the most literal sense, it achieves.
The overall impression of Love Comes Close is of a record that knows its strengths, but while trying to experiment, leaves behind a bit too much in the way of filler.
