NYC cold wave band The Harrow dropped Silhouettes in 2015, and I only knew about this a few weeks ago. I last reviewed them in 2013 (Harrow review link) and am happy to report that the group has only upped the quality of their chilly but lush music, refining it to jagged, lacy points of light streamed through the darkness. I hear elements of The Glove, The Cure, Siouxsie and The Banshees, and most especially Sad Lovers and Giants in their work. This is not to say this is derivative; quite the opposite is true. Vocalist Vanessa Irena’s detached but delicate voice floats over the inky spirals of sound. Opening track “We Run” could almost be a lost Dead Can Dance B-side; gothic darkness swirls around the listener as relentless synths tighten their sonic noose. “Love Like Shadows” starts off with pulsing synths that lay the foundation for Greg Fasolino’s airy guitar work.
There is an extreme dichotomy between darkness and light, which is kind of the point here. It is an attractive contrast that continues to drag you into its web, and you are happy to be stuck there. Vanessa’s voice is especially lovely here, and it is quite possibly my favorite track on the album. The SLAG/Glove influence is especially noticeable, and it’s all to the good! “Darling” follows in a similar fashion, while “Feral Haze” approaches the work of Robert Smith and Steve Severin on Blue Sunshine (the band even covers “Mouth to Mouth”) while carving its own dark path. “Chandeliers” is another cool tune; chilly dream pop at its finest.
“Pale Embers” is widescreen dark wave, while “Kaleidoscope” is buoyed by cool, rubbery bass lines. “When The Pendulum Swings” is a pretty, synth pop tune that seems like a logical choice for a single, and I really like Greg’s guitar twining with Vanessa’s icy tones. “Secret Language” is chock full of skittering synths and slow waves of percussion married to filigreed guitar; it is your soundtrack for a cold, gray winter day. The final song “White Nile” is slow and pensive dream pop, offering up graceful, musical skeins and letting in a bit of light before this unsettling release closes down. Recommended for fans of darkly inflected post punk and dream pop.
Catch up with The Harrow on their home page.
