Amber Spyglass

The female-fronted duo Amber Spyglass blend a home-grown folk feel into their goth design with mixed results on Accelerating Parcae, their debut full-length release. Songstress Kelly is a vocal force to be reckoned with, when she isn’t pushing herself beyond her vocal capabilities — thankfully this is mostly limited to only a couple of cuts. Whether it is conscious or unconscious, there appears to be some vocal nods here to Siouxsie Sioux, and other female-led gothic groups of that ilk. The album is otherwise fused with unique instrumentation and rhythms carved out over heady and rich ambient atmospheres. The 11 tracks are a gentle collection of textured, moody, downbeat introspective songs that employ complex layered vocals and borrow at times from more traditional music. This disc also includes a cover of David Bowie’s "I’m Afraid of Americans.” Technical notes aside, the Amber Spyglass have successfully achieved the most difficult chore for a band; they have found their own unique sound and voice, which shows great potential for their follow-up releases. So, regardless if this effort falls a tiny bit short, this eclectic Boston-based band will remain one to watch in the coming months and years.