Cold Cave: Cherish The Light Years

Cold Cave
Cherish The Light Years
Rating: Grrrr

Cold Cave have evolved their neo-gothic sound with each new release. Their first album Cremations (essentially a compilation of early singles) was almost oppressive in its dourness; bleak and humorless, every song mired in claustrophobic, icy keyboards and tinny drum machines. Leaps ahead in production value and sonic diversity, follow up album Love Comes Close almost sounds like a different band. Utilizing more pop hooks and lightening their mood, the band hit many highs including the Cure meets Joy Division rush of the title track. The album was still hampered a bit by unnecessary experimentation that really served to confuse more than to stretch their talents. For this album, there have been more changes and a fuller embrace of the hooks that made Love Comes Close such a success. Indeed, Cold Cave sounds larger, almost stadium ready, putting together a set of songs that play well to the cheap seats. Where this approach seemed to hobble the recent release from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Cold Cave's use of a glossier sheen and denser production only highlights what a strong band they have become.

Opener "The Great Pan Is Dead," is a full punch to the gut. Roaring out of the gate with splintering digital percussion, revved up guitars, and squalling synths, it is a glorious salvo.



"Pacing Around The Church," drives fast and furious on a kicking drum beat and new wave synths:



There are still moments where the band indulges in some experimentation, but where in the past the songs became all about mood, here the sounds work with the track rather than against it. "Burning Sage," uses droning, industrial keyboards and programming to build and build into a furious release of drums and electronics.



The hooks are plentiful and just keep coming, song after song. From the bright keyboards and angular guitars of "Confetti,"



the muscular, Nitzer Ebb industrial rush of "Underworld USA,"



to the New Order like "Alchemy Around You," which inserts the most balls-out weird blasts of funk horn which elevates it from mere pastiche:



The album ends as strongly as it begins with the haunting, could be Disintegration-era Cure b-side, "Villains of the Moon," which has one of Cold Cave's strongest choruses:



Cherish The Light Years is Cold Cave's strongest release yet, drawing from all their influences but adding enough of their own touch to make it sound distinctive. Long gone are the brooding, one note dirges of their past, replaced with a stunning mastery of pacing, mood, and texture.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.