From its opening moments, the debut album from Los Angeles-based trio the Black Queen is not at all what the listener is prepared for. A record involving Greg Puciato of Dillinger Escape Plan comes with certain set of expectations, and whatever they may be, they are most certainly not this pulsing landscape of cinematic dream pop.
Layered and atmospheric, it's easy to be pulled along by the album's electric current, to succumb to the sense of urgency the album embodies. From the shivering cymbals to the velveteen vocals, this record is all about textures. Buttery smooth one moment and crackling the next, it's a remarkably ambient record that is also hard to settle into and relax around; it definitely rewards active listening. Rarely is a record this harrowing also so soft.
(Hypaethral)Layered and atmospheric, it's easy to be pulled along by the album's electric current, to succumb to the sense of urgency the album embodies. From the shivering cymbals to the velveteen vocals, this record is all about textures. Buttery smooth one moment and crackling the next, it's a remarkably ambient record that is also hard to settle into and relax around; it definitely rewards active listening. Rarely is a record this harrowing also so soft.