Miserablist gothy post-punk
Canadian duo Blue Cross take you back to scratchy lo-fi recordings drenched in moody atmospherics a la Siouxsie and the Banshees in their earlier more punk-tinged days. Blue Cross' miserablist gothy post-punk is rough and lo-fi production-wise but holds some pretty addictive tunes. Actually, they take you by surprise; you may not be prepared for the hooks lurking here, given the initial shock of dark and low goth grumbling, but after you break through that moody atmosphere you may find you are easily drawn in to their world, sinking in (if you let yourself) to half hidden vocals and solid, if at times harsh, riffage, some of which can be catchy and interesting.
The album benefits from repeated listens - you pick up more each time you hear it, although you may need to be in the right mood to fully appreciate the dreamy, downbeat sound. Opener Bring Out Your Dead with it's slow deliberate riff, soon develops into faster rhythms, with backing shouts rounding things out. The hook here is the distorted guitar which brings to mind The Cure briefly and the distinctive female vocals, full of melancholic attitude.
There is a lyrical call for free thinking throughout the record, which is approached not in a call to arms fist pumping way, but in a more atmospheric style. It feels as if Blue Cross are trying to make you realise how repressed you already are to shake you out of your complacency, they don't shout slogans, but rather lyrics like "trust in us and keep in line" and "trust in us sedate yourself" from the aforementioned opener seem formulated to shame you into action. Nevertheless, whether the moody finger wagging propels you into action or not there are some great tunes here - Calling Combatants for instance with its Jesus and Mary Chain style noisy distorted feedback squeals and simple but effective beats; Time To Die with its great, hooky bass riff and Disconnect's memorable tune, backed by catchy keys and echoes are typical of the record which is overall pretty memorable and satisfying.