published: 27 /
9 /
2004
Label:
Phonostatic
Format: CD
First-rate debut album from new Swiss guitar rock band, the Predominant Lunatics, which will appeal to fans of the Cure and Interpol
Review
The Predominant Lunatics, which consists of Marco Finsterwald (guitar, vocals), Matthias Galli (bass), Erich Imobersteg (drums) and Thierry Pache (guitar and lyrics), hail from Switzerland. ‘Hoping for Dusk’ is their first album which follows on from a four track demo which came out in 2002. Marco’s vocals sound very similar to Baptiste’s Wayne Gooderham and the Go Betweens’ Robert Forster. They also use the occasional female backing vocalist.
‘Hoping for Dusk’ has only seven songs, but they are all first-rate. It opens up with ‘An Open Door’ which has clear crispy guitar playing and a deep bass sound. The guitar lines sound very like those of the Cure and on this opening track Marco’s vocals have all the elegant grace of Jarvis Cocker in the way that he also delivers a song.
‘Delayed’ again recalls the Cure. It starts slowly, but its second half has more of a thrashy feel and the vocal becomes more urgent. ‘Snowgirl’, which also appears on the demo, is lighter in tone and reminiscent of Baptiste in its delivery. The guitar playing on it is lovely. ‘Sister Moon’ is slow paced and creates some very dark images with its words. It is an example of storytelling in music done at its clearest and best.
‘Last Summer, I Think’ is as good as any Cure album track or B side, while ‘Glory of Nothing’ has a Hope of the States vibe to it, but without their use of violin.The album ends with “Mirror’ which again has crispy guitar lines and a dark bass, while the song itself is like an updated version of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, which has been especially rewritten for the 21st century.
This is an excellent debut from this Swiss four piece who have now played in London several times. If you like the Cure, Interpol, the Departure, or the darker side of 80’s music, this band will be very much to your taste.
Track Listing:-
1
An Open Book
2
Delayed
3
Snowgirl
4
Sister Moon
5
Last Summer I Think
6
Glory Of Nothing
7
Mirror
Have a Listen:-