Decades / Failure – “G00dby3” – [Dead Tank]

Naysayer   1/3/2016   12-inch, A Library

Hooray for darkwave, coldwave, new groups looking back to push forward the synth depression that was The Cure, Joy Division, early Wire, Sisters of Mercy. Someone called this sound “loner pulse”. Decades/ Failure know their roots and exploit them superbly. Depressing lyrics about being left alone forever sung in this machine distorted and manipulated style which makes it so difficult to understand and all the more wonderful to fall into. The lyrics are printed on the back of the album so you can sing and sob along. Don’t get me wrong: it’s super. Synth driven beats catapult the listener through the dread while the reverbing guitar (natch) holds court. Eight songs of glorious bleakness. I am 18 again.