Livingstone-based electro-Goth due Gravelle are back with five tracks of new material, their third EP to date – released 1st September.
Things start as they mean to go with ‘Into The Fog’, which starts quite low-key as a duet and builds via threatening electronic squelch and percussion into something of a thundering beast before fading away glitchily. The overall feel is dark, intense and nightmarish but being who they are, it also feels entertaining and dramatic.
Track 2 ‘Forever’ is if anything poppier with a nice Cure-esque keyboard riff before the male vocal, slightly autotuned/treated sings matter-of-factly in a deadpan tone before the chorus adds further layers of electronica and “all I want to be remembered by you…”
‘Rusted Flowers’ has a booming riff which could be guitar, keyboard or a bit of both, before the female vocal narrates details of post-apocalyptic worlds – “stamp on glass…” – again a certain amount of autotune is deployed.
With penultimate ‘Blinded’ we are back to male lead vocals on a more minimalist (at least at first) electro backing – oh no, spoke too soon, another highly-charged chorus kicks in! There’s a hint of Depeche Mode on this one, not a bad thing at all…
Finally, ‘While I Sleep’ again starts sparsely, with female vocals but again builds into something of an epic with clattering drums, keyboard and guitar washes and another narrative about dying (again!).
BM has to say that on an initial listen this is Gravelle’s best, most fully realised work yet – and the duo should feel very proud of themselves!