THE NIGHTMARES
Séance (Venn/Equal Vision)
For a noir-pop-goth-post-punk group, The Nightmares couldn’t be less scary and there’s nothing menacing about their latest album, Séance. But perhaps that’s the point. Death and dying, and the possibility that the soul lives on, are big topics and can often come across as maudlin or melodramatic but the Newport-based four-piece handle the subjects with care.
Gentle vocals are accompanied by heavy basslines and layers of guitars and piano. Some tracks, such as Pink And Grey, have catchy rhythms, making them radio-friendly; Cursed, the album’s single, is a jolly tune, considering it’s about funerals. Evermore – based on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall Of The House Of Usher – has a saxophone solo, and who doesn’t love those?
Even though The Nightmares’ songwriting has a commercial leaning, the deep and considered lyrics gives them an edge. Séance is one of those albums that gives up something new on each play, making for an interesting listen.
words LYNDA NASH
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