In an age where every artist of every genre somehow feels moved to over-emote, over-exaggerate and overwhelm everything with strings, synths, overlong guitar riffs and unnecessary atmospherics, it is a true joy to hear music so cut back and so crystal clear. The opener, ‘Ergot On Rye’, is a good example here. The slightest of synthesiser backings, a brief wind of guitar notes, and we are swept into the realm of the drone.
This gives the album a haunting, almost tragic quality. It ties in well with Lovechilde’s stated intentions to “focus on the real and the sacred”, as you can, deliciously, never be sure of what you have either heard or not heard and the scarier this becomes, the more delicious it becomes.
The electronica used, rather than being mere sonic decoration, makes the album hiss and bubble and pop. The drone-age side of things gives the album a nice serrated edge which means that plenty of sounds snag in the ear.