July 27 2009
Black Tape for a Blue Girl – Quadranotics
As evidenced by the odd lyrical reference and the lush packaging that accompanies their albums, there has always been a sensual element to the work of Black Tape for a Blue Girl. However, this erotic undercurrent has sometimes been obfuscated by the swirling depths of the group’s epically ethereal aesthetic. If Quadranotics, a sampler of songs from the upcoming album 10 Neurotics, is a good indication, the next Black Tape record will substantially amp-up the sexual content and pair it with a new and exciting musical direction. At first blush, this seems like a risky prospect; not for nothing, Black Tape is one of the few darkwave acts who have a sound that is both immediately recognizable and distinct from the more imitative practitioners within the gloom-and-doom underground. 10 Neurotics, then, will be something of a gamble, but the songs on Qaudranotics indicate that such a bold artistic move that could potentially alienate the average Black Tape fan is actually poised to revitalize the project.
The first track on the sampler, a reworked version of As One Aflame Laid Bare by Desire’s “Tell Me You’ve Taken Another,” illustrates just how far Sam Rosenthal and company are willing to expand the group’s sonic palette. Where the lyrical narration of a man with a fetish for being cuckolded was formerly delivered amidst waves of synthesizer, it now floats along a breezy arrangement of guitars, flute, and Brian Viglione’s archly musical drumming. More startling is the increased range that the album promises; “Inch Worm” is a piano-based cabaret number, while “Sailor Boy” is a sea-shanty-with-a-twist. And yet, despite the changes, fans of ethereal whisperings shouldn’t turn up their noses at what is to come; “Caught by a Stranger” blends ethnic touches with electronics in a way that will likely please devotees of Wench, Dead Can Dance, Unto Ashes, et al.
I can honestly say, with no trace of hyperbole, that after hearing Quadranotics 10 Neurotics has shot to the top of my list of albums I am most anxious for in 2009. As a bonus, Sam R. has been blogging about the process of writing and recording the album here. Check it out and become enthralled!
