Cold Cave - Love Comes Close

1. Cebe And Me
2. Love Comes Close
3. Life Magazine
4. The Laurels Of Erotomania
5. Heaven Was Full
6. The Trees Grew Emotions And Died
7. Hello Rats
8. Youth And Lust
9. I.C.D.K.

We're still buzzed-up on Cold Cave's utterly f*cked-up and insanely brilliant compilation of early material 'Cremations' that came out a few weeks back, so you can only imagine how hyped we are over their debut LP proper, 'Love Comes Close'. While that first comp was engrossing from start to finish, we much preferred those tracks infected with mournfully camp and sinister dance-pop genes, favouring chilling synths and drum machines over emaciated industrial guitars. Now releasing through their own publishing house, Heartworm Press, and featuring an expanded line-up including allies Caralee McElroy of Xiu Xiu, Dominik Fernow aka Prurient, celebrated author Max G. Morton and J.Benoit, this album clearly defines their influences from Joy Division/New Order to Chris & Cosey with a coating of Whitehouse-nasty noise, succinctly described as "Darkwave". Over nine tracks Wes Eisgold manages to create a tension of dancefloor effusiveness with cynically nihilistic sheets of noise, at once exquisite and utterly foul, like the so-bad-you-know-it-works burn of illicit substances on the tongue. The title track is a beyond-the-grave channelling of Ian Curtis, encroaching on the late singers style with a respectful cynicism. 'Life Magazine' introduces the noise again with unnerving familiarity, like some indie megahit mixed by a pack of noise loving gremlins, and then there's the sumptuously camp anthem in waiting 'The Laurels Of Erotomania', like some Erasure track revised by the Bunker crew. 'The Trees Grew Emotions And Died' is another shot of jet black industro-pop, teetering between over-joyful synth melodies and squirming layers of caustic guitars with an unremitting drum machine backing. We'll stop now and just let you explore the rest of the album for your own good. Needless to say, if you've ever felt a strange internal feeling when listening to any of the artists we've referenced above, ready yourself for a fully adulterated blast of the good stuff. So-f**king-good!!!