Black Tape for a Blue Girl’s Remnants of a Deeper Purity is one of the few darkwave albums that has managed to reach the status of a modern classic.  On this record Black Tape for a Blue Girl first managed the flawless alchemical fusion of violin, cello, synths, and ethereal vocals into a hazy, shimmering tapestry of sound.  Majestically epic, the songs on Remnants of a Deeper Purity do not lend themselves well to club play or individual consideration; each song is a piece of the greater whole, building on what has come previously to create a seamless aesthetic movement.  The mood is mournful, the sonic personification of regret, that peaks with the extended meditation of “For You Will Burn Your Wings Upon the Sun.”  The rise and fall painted by Sam Rosenthal’s lyrics reminds me of the themes common to the Decadent literature of the 19th century: the over-reaching desire for abandon ultimately leads to the downward spiral of self-betrayal and disappointment.

For the tenth anniversary of Remnants of a Deep Purity’s release, Projekt has re-issued the album with a second disc that contains re-workings and material from the same era, three beautiful live tracks, and the 1996 version of “Across a Thousand Blades,” all for the sum of a regularly-priced album.  The extra material is just as brilliant as the main offering; this is truly an essential addition to any discerning collection.

There are no comments yet. You could be the first!