This debut album from the Manchester trio is a captivating Gothic Americana creation.
It lurches along like a Biblical leper, pieces flying off everywhere, back bent double under the weight of conscience, as frontman Pete Phythian croaks bleakly about regret and redemption. The dark sheen of the record owes much to the input of label boss Barry Adamson, the ex-Bad Seed not only acting as mentor, but mixing the album too.
‘Mean Old Jack’ and ‘There Is No Evil, There Is No Good’ brood under black skies, exhibiting sharp as a buzzard’s beak lyricism, whilst ‘Vony & The Plynths’ and ‘Nautilus’ offer enough by way of idiosyncrasy to repel obvious comparisons to the likes of Nick Cave.
8/10
Words by Francis Jones
