London-based long-standing experimental four-piece formed in 1998 by songwriter/vocalist and guitarist Lloyd James (vocals, acoustic guitar) has just released, in these days, its 8th studio full-length“Curses” via Wooden Lung/Old Europa Cafe. It’s first album to feature the songwriting partnership of Lloyd James with multi-instrumentalist and producer Ben McLees (This is Radio Silence, SonVer, DISCONNECTS and full-time Naevus member since 2012).
The title track, combined with the intensive visuals by Alla Sol, is another hint of the progressive band’s departure from the neofolk styles, even if still in its backbone, undertaken in the past works, to make wave to a dense, cohesive, minimalistic, black post-punk, loaded with intensive lysergic and hypnotic introspective tones and with a significant skill to create an obsessive and brooding vibe, enhanced by Lloyd James distinctive smooth spoken-vocal style and by the darkly sinister violin keys.
It would be a real shame don’t pay the due attention to such an passionate, inspiring, real punk band.
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Swans influence is clear for musical choices, for the singing of Lloyd James
post punk black and surreal, which brings in remarkable lysergic moments and an expressive ability, to create a cohesive and hypnotic sound magma, often thanks to key and violin solutions of Howden never really in the foreground but very profitable for the arrangements, less good when they slow down and leave themselves a little too grasping by the usual ghosts.
The electric guitar chill of Greg Ferrari, moreover, will cover the entire album, animating the eight ballads contained in the album, overshadowing more than once the acoustic guitar of James and the full-bodied bass of the Owen, true bone of the Naevus sound
torn by the arrogance of the strident and whistling violin
