Nearly

If your musical tastes lean towards the delightfully dreary, former NIN drummer Jerome Dillon’s latest project is worth your attention. Dillon’s former affiliations are slightly misleading however, as Reminder is neither modernised industrial rock, nor does it come close to any level of aggression. Instead, this debut disc tosses out a remarkable assortment of standard guitar and percussion composition and Victorian themed, violin-driven, chamber music. Short and sweet instrumental tracks are scattered throughout the disc, each pleasurable in their own way. The talents of vocalist Claudia Sarne are sadly not as reliable. While her overall performance demonstrates an ability to punch out a uniquely powerful presence, her offerings on "Prins Hendrik” and "Mary Vincent” personify a whiny "poor me” female stereotype. Still, CD players come with skip buttons for a reason and overall Sarne serves her purpose — to provide a melancholic vocal presence to the equally gloomy melodies.