The Warlocks - The Mirror Explodes [Album]

Tee Pee Records

August 25, 2009, 02:26 PM

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If the music press at large are to be believed, shoe-gazing is about to make a comeback. Of course we're barely a year into the 80's electro-pop 'comeback' so lord knows how long it will take for this planned renaissance to come to fruition. On the evidence of The Warlocks 5th album 'The Mirror Explodes' though, practitioners of the art-form probably don't give 2 flying fucks whether or not their chosen means of musical expression is 'in this season' or not.

The genre by it's own admission is very much a Marmite proposition, with it's diving, twisted guitars, barely audible vocals, loose drums and sparse arrangements, so don't expect an easy listen. If the idea of 45 minutes of feedback displeases you in any way, shape or form then please look away now. However this kind of 'neo-psychedelia' has the flip-side effect of sparking unbridled passion in it's dedicated followers (bohemian, stoner types). Indeed if you spent a great deal of your troubled teen years curled up into a foetal position, nursing your emotional wounds with a bong and the healing, spaced out sounds of The Velvet Underground, Spaceman 3, Ride, and My Bloody Valentine you will find much to enjoy here.... but is it really necessary?

Well yes and no, to be honest in my eyes the template was drawn and perfected with My Bloody Valentines 1991 'Loveless' album. A record of such dense, creative and strange beauty, Kevin Shields has spent nearly 20 years trying to follow it up. The Warlocks lack the keen melodic sensibility that made My Bloody Valentine such an enticing prospect, but that's not to say there are no memorable songs to be found here. Opener 'Red Camera' sets the scene for much of what is to follow with menacing fuzz, steady, gentle rhythms and lots of reverb. It's not exactly an impressive opener but it's a suitably moody introduction. Following track 'The Midnight Sun' borrows pretty much exclusively from the Shields songbook but it does so effectively with a blistering wall of noise that through headphones sounds like the aural equivalent of a head-rush. Many of the remaining songs milk the same skill-set with 'Frequency Meltdown' as the exception that proves the rule, it's brisk pace and cataclysmic volume however, cannot mask it's lack of ideas.

There are moments of clarity amidst the feedback too, with both 'There Is A Formula To Your Despair' and 'Static Eyes' relying on cleaner, less aggressive sounds. The effect here almost brings to mind Sonic Youth's forays into the genre, specifically 'Theresa's Sound World' from the 'Dirt' album. It's a style which translates MUCH better on record, everything else you can tell was written to be played live with the album versions coming across a little blood-less by comparison. Then there's 'You Make Me Wait' which is easily the star of the show. The execution may remain the same as the other seven tracks but the guitar lines here wrap around each other with a delicate grace and power which I found lacking elsewhere. There is a real understanding of dynamics on this track too, the band know exactly where to push and pull back and over 6 minutes it weaves an effective spell. Sadly the song is almost ruined by a lack-lustre vocal performance, in fact if there is one outstanding weak point to the band in general it has to be the vocals. The thin, whiny voices may just blend into the background but they are frequently off-key, unpleasant and off-putting. On the lighter tracks the vocals work well and supply some much needed melodic weight, but on songs such as 'Slowly Disappearing' they detract from the atmosphere and with this album atmosphere really is everything.

The Warlocks obviously mean well, and the music is far from unlistenable, but what we have here is a conundrum of sorts. Just because The Warlocks are copying from a much less commercially viable template, does that make them any less guilty of plagiarism than say, Oasis? The problem here is The Warlocks add nothing of their own to a sound that was consolidated and perfected nearly 20 years ago. 'The Mirror Explodes' is stuck in the past, if you long for a nostalgia trip go ahead, but really, wouldn't you rather just dig out your old My Bloody Valentine and Ride albums? Vapour Trails is STILL a great song after-all.

Tracklisting:-

1. Red Camera
2. The Midnight Sun
3. Slowly Disappearing
4. There Is A Formula To Your Despair
5. Standing Between The Lovers Of Hell
6. You Make Me Wait
7. Frequency Meltdown
8. Static Eyes

Recommended:-

'There Is A Formula To Your Despair'/'You Make Me Wait'/'Static Eyes

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