I’m not sure if it took its name from the second, maroever not excellent, ABC album from 1983, Beauty Stab project was created in 2018 by Dan Shea & Buddy Preston, two former members of North of England‘s Brutalist experimental outfit Vukovar, who debuted with the 3-tracker“O Eden” released in early 2019 via Sidney label Metal Postcard Records, I completely missed.
Merging abstract synth-pop reimaginations, lingering around The Associates, Paul Haig and early Human League realms, with the noirish, cinematic, crepuscular melancholy and profound mournful poignancy haunted by the giant shadows of Scott Walker, Nick Cave, late Cash and so forth, whilst more recently Tindersticks and Richard Hawley, the duet has dropped a brand new DIY self/titled EP on highly collectable Limited Edition Handmade CD-R.
While the enticing lush electro-pop reveries of the single “French Film Embrace” and “O Eden”, belong to the former, the introspectively soulful, brooding, and darkly mysterious “The Rain” uncoils in slow-burning drama and seething tension through enigmatic intimate heartfelt and devastating narration of past recollections and regrets, amidst broken dreams, disillusionment and betrayal.
Steady thumping drums along bleak, taut wire melodic bass pulsations are pierced by searingly liquid quivering guitar wails, awash by wandering, whining icy synth flows that swirl and glow around thoroughly angst-stricken, affected male vocals, underlined by emotional backup chorus, breathlessly unleash a painful memory into the angry wind of injustice.
A compelling EP that in its timelessness would have been a natural addition to the Les Disques du Crépuscule catalogue, highly recommended.
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