Parade

Simply amazing. While the rest of the goth world has finally caught up with their sonic experimentation and Julie S. Faris's mournful vocals, Parade still deliver an album of utter beauty that has almost no equal. She sings as though she is constantly grief stricken and writes as though she is lost to the world. Yet the band doesn't want you lying on your bed in a fetal position with mascara running down your cheeks. Their mood though sombre is balanced by electronic energy that can fill a room with gothic intensity and is guaranteed to light up the black lights. The pop-electronic noise can be futuristic, such as on "Marmalade," "Wasted" and opener "Silver Sands." Parade does keep their traditional ambient styling for many songs, but when these two elements are combined they become a fantastic band.