“Darkwave” Reviews

The enigmatic Québéc-based artist evokes the same grey-tinted atmospherics heard on classic 4AD and Projekt releases.

Lycia’s latest single finds them dipping a little deeper into synth-pop, and the result is excellent.

The iconic goth/darkwave outfit switches up their sound while still hewing close to what made them so great in the first place.

The enigmatic Swedish artist’s debut album is dark, shadowy, and veiled, the perfect music for long, lonely winter nights.

Tor Lundvall’s first vocal album in nearly ten years blends hushed ambient music with themes of sorrow and longing.

Winter Severity Index lives up to its name with iced-over synths, brittle guitars, crushed rhythms, and androgynous vocals.

The album’s more atmospheric pieces provide a perfect example of Projekt’s “vintage” darkwave sound.

When Lycia hits their stride, all of the pretense and bombast works entirely in their favor, and the music feels more comprehensive and accomplished than portentous.

Conjures up every cliché of goth/darkwave music… and then easily transcends them.

Lycia is probably one of the few modern bands to truly capture and continue the sounds captured on such seminal discs as Faith and Pornography without sounding like mere copycats.

Because of the album’s truncated recording, it’s pretty raw and unfinished in places, more a work in progress suspended in time than anything else.

Whereas Soulwhirlingsomewhere’s debut was an intensely intimate recording, Everyone Will Evenutally Leave You has a more sombre and distant tone.

The songs are sparse yet warm, like Plaster is inviting me to hear revelations of his deepest anxieties and feelings.

Textured soundscapes that captivate the listener into their dark and beautiful sonic atmospheres.

I’d really like to see both of these bands get some quality studio time and the support of a record label.

Sleeps with the Fishes is adept at taking what should be morose music and converts it into something resplendent.

A monolithic album that must be appreciated for its sheer breadth and scope, and moments of heart-wrenching beauty.

As for actually sitting and listening through the entire album… though it is quite beautiful, this could be intimidating.

An honest, sincere, and moving tribute to one of the most beautiful seasons of the year.

If you’re at all into the darkwave scene, you might want to keep an eye out on these guys.