The boon of coming from a city with a strong musical heritage can be offset by the hefty shadows that can be cast by those who have gone before, and even after all these years, the spectre of departed local colossi like Joy Division, the Smiths or Stone Roses still tend to haunt the Manchester music scene. Not so gothic-tinged alt-rockers Desolation Angels, whose accomplished debut seems to have sprung up from another universe entirely.
The evocative, autumnal tones of the playing, the hectic, distressed cover art and the title all hint at a somewhat fraught gestation for this highly impressive debut. In fact, the band had to literally regroup following the departure of the one of the main singers and songwriters mere months before the recording, and that they have done this so effectively, with barely a scar to show (two more able vocalists in guitarist Mandy Daynes and keyboard player Steph Walker were readily available) adds to their considerable achievement.
Like a lovingly crafted watercolour, delicate elements combine to form a lovingly and patiently crafted mature whole. The richness of Daynes’ voice and the stretch and scope of the songs recalls PJ Harvey, but to that you can add any number of further dark-toned influences, from A Perfect Circle or Smashing Pumpkins to even the desolate majesty of Joy Division.
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Opener "Stari Chevolek" is a lovely, aching slow-burner, the title track a frenetic whirlpool of guitars. As the album progresses and evolves, Walker’s graceful piano flourishes, tympani, upright basses and accordions are all added to the fertile mix, and as the final bars of the epic melodrama of "Write My Name" expire, a torrid and intense emotional journey reaches a close, leaving the listener a little exhausted and not a little awed.
Ones to watch, for sure.
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