The ‘difficult second album syndrome’ seems not to affect Little Fantastic Partner, the Russian gothic post-punk 3-piece from Saratov, made up of Vladimir Startsev (voice, guitar, bass), Alesis Slava Mineev (guitar, bass, drums, voice) and Natasha Startseva (voice, keyboards).
Last year debut album “Mistake” surprised and intrigued with their distinctive blend of post-punk and deathrock combined with atmospheric shoegaze leanings and goth overtones, the brand new LP “Tomorrow” only confirms, and possibly improve, the band’s songwriting qualities.
The opening track, “Art Of Death”, deals with themes of death, self loathing and loneliness. A throbbing, strong and melodic driven bassline, backed by pounding beats, interwoven with John McGeoch-esque glancing, crystalline and spiky guitar lines to heighten hypnotic and dramatic intensity and tension throughtout. Defiant, spunky, and wicked vocals rant about how he wants to die submerged by a swirling and intricate maelstrom of searing and spiralling guitar melodies emphase a mournful sense of pain, solitude and angst. “No one can help me now” repeats, while the guitar chords oveflow in dissonance, the bass stutters and the drums step up in an overwhelmed vortex of profound excitement and tragedy. A heavenly and hearten voice assures him that will help him die, while wicked insane laughs permeate the atmosphere leaving no answers.
At turns ethereal and gloomy, subtle and poignant, “Art Of Death” intriguinly fuses dire malaise and startling goth beauty.
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