Dead Curtis – “An Alternative Place” CD review
“Dead Curtis”, a German indie / wave / post punk band is resurrected and presents us its first full-length album. If a one takes the album in hands, sees this “gothic” design and then plays it in a stereo, after first minute of the “medieval” sample which opens the song “The Will” and the whole album, he’ll probably think something like “Oh noooo! Thiiis iiis sooo gooothic…” But no, after this short sample really decent impassive and “powerless” post-punk sounds can be heard. Once again, a one could think that it will sound boring, but this thought keeps “frozen” in mind while a listener stays charmed by the music. Incredibly, but the fact. The music is played slow, sad and melancholic, but as a contrary to many bands of this kind, it creates the ATMOSPHERE. In addition it must be said that about 1/3 of the album is incredibly catchy. Listen to the songs like “Party Girl”, “Never Forget”, “Just You and Me”, “Lies” (by the way, the most powerful band’s track which really makes a sense that Curtis’ spirit is alive, and moreover is very close), “Yesterday’s Over” just once and you’ll recognize them when you hear them the next time in any circumstances. A curious reader will notice that the songs I’ve mentioned are very close to each other in the tracklist order and that’s the minus I want to pay attention to. To start with, the album lasts 74 minutes and the weakest songs are put to the end, so after first 50 minutes and nine-ten songs a listener gets tired of the stuff and listening to not the most powerful tracks makes him also getting bored with the last part of the album. So this probably was a mistake to make the album such a long one, but it’s usually better to have more than to have not enough, and in this case it works: the last part of the album just can be ignored if it’s not that pleasant to a listener. So, in conclusion, “An Alternative Place” is a very decent release with catchy stuff, which can lead a listener to the incredible and unforgettable condition of dissolution in this charming light melancholia. And it’ really worth to be heard.
Grade: 8/10
Pall ‘Nattsol’ Zarutskiy
‘Grave Jibes Fanzine’
