BLACK ROSE MOVES - DEATH DANCE
Tantalising UK Goth EP
A big noise from two people, and this Birmingham duo of Mark Neat and Grant Leon wield their wounded woes well. Four taut entities, with decent variety, unusual musical nuances and commanding vocals. What more would you ask for a debut EP?
Now some of the songs have vibrated winningly on bandcamp before now, but this is an official CD release, so it’s fitting I’ve just started readying my mind to doing regular reviews, and as usual I’m keen to highlight anything happening in the UK scene, as well as keeping both eagle eyes on the forever tempting ferment of International activity. It’s been a great year for music so far and Black Rose Moves fit in snugly with some of the best.
‘Lips Taste Blood’ is an intriguing blend of upright drum machine, proudly brooding bass and strong ashen vocals. What guitar there is gets used sparingly, chiming spectral and spindly. The tone is dark but luscious. ‘Shadow Dance’ again has bass to the fore, other instrumentation tucked discreetly behind the confident, strolling vocal with catchy mini repetitions. Things ramp up for the glorious emotionally stricken chorus, so things shift smartly.
You can’t be in a Goth band without having at least one song named after a woman, so ‘Jessica’ ticks that box, and there’s more traditional guitar decoration around the pungent bass. Pointed lyrics paint a picture of a dying relationship and this song ends emphatically, while the first two tracks felt a little perfunctory as they finished. More turbulent truths escalate in final song ‘Summer Of Sorrow’ with another pounding chorus and little drop downs to tease out the atmospheric charm further. (The lyrics are different to those shown on their bandcamp page?)
Everything about this sounds great. A cause for celebration.
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