LD-50
This American synthpop duo who have
found their way to our hearts with their first disc have
unexpectedly parted ways with their label and are getting
back to us with a self-released second album, which ventures
into new directions while retaining its lovable merits.
Those who have missed the dynamics from The Charming Factor,
and even those who by chance wanted a more sombre atmosphere
can now find what they're looking for.
The aforementioned decision of Charlene April and Daniel
Gunther may have come as a surprise, but as in so many
things, it is the result which counts, and that's something
we can't really complain about. While keeping the delicate
synthpop structures we've come to love so much, the music -
depending on the songs - takes a darker, more sullen
direction, sometimes even venturing into the field of
darkwave. April's voice is still enchanting, as well as the
lyrics she penned, while Daniel's dreamed-to-synth
compositions are precise and also complex at the same time.
The opening The Smallest Rewards already makes up for the
faster pieces we've been missing, and at the same time it'll
grow on us to become the song replayed the most. With the
similarly energic Dirty Town they make up one of the
components of its versatility. The repertoire is completed
by the slower, but one of the best dramatic pieces, Orchid,
Secret Affair and Walking In The Park reflecting towards the
previous album, the pairing of female singer and piano,
Ashamed, which is unmissable in this style, and the most
genuine songs of the band this far, Write To Stay. Even
Silver Echo Inside, which has the role of the interlude,
isn't the regular weightless filler, but a massive and
suggestive piece.
Blind Faith And Envy's second album is an outstanding
example of an effective step forward. A Sincere, catchy and
versatile work. We may compare it to the previous disc
without problems even with its new directions - harmony
reaches further than these eleven tracks, connecting the two
works. And the fact that they created it out of their own
effort raises the value of the duo, and also does their
courtesy that we can listen to the whole album before
purchase (and those who do gain extra downloads by way of a
password).
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