With so many young artists flashing back to the angular punk-funk of Gang of Four and their hyperkinetic late '70s peers, what a breath of fresh air it is to hear the darker side of New Wave. The Drown (http://thedrown.com) are drenched in moody atmosphere on this five-track EP but unlike groups such as Interpol, which also resurrect the ebony-clad post-punk aesthetic into the 21st century, the Drown offer no concessions to the Indie Rock demographic. This is Gothic rock straight up.
Right from the beginning the Drown takes you back the late '80s heyday of 4AD Records. The dreamy title track is a combination of druggy keyboards and ominous, slashing guitars.
Comparisons to the Cure are inevitable. However, one must note that the Cure entered various periods of style. To the enlightened, the Drown are closer to the bleak "Seventeen Seconds" era, between the Cure's initial minimalist stage of "Killing An Arab" and their mainstream breakthrough "Inbetween Days."
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"Discourse" is a killer track, fired by swirling riffs a la Echo & the Bunnymen and Joy Division-ish brooding bass. Synthesizers swish around in that classic Batcave fashion as the vocals float like a phantom over a crisp, throbbing rhythm section. Outstanding. "My Francoise" recalls Love & Rockets with its mellow psychedelia, and the live cut "Still" trembles like the Cure's creepiest moments.
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