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[one_half last=”yes”]2:54
The Other I
Release-Date: 10.11.2014
Label: Bella Union
Tracklist:
01. Orion
02. Blindfold
03. In The Mirror
04. No Better Prize
05. Sleepwalker
06. Tender Shoots
07. The Monaco
08. Crest
09. Pyro
10. South
11. Glory Days
12. Raptor
NBHAP Rating: 3,8/5
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Sinister sisterhood
The 2012 self-titled debut of 2:54 aka British sisters Colette and Hannah Thurlow was a great example of how you transfer the spirit of classic 80s wave pop into the hear and now, without sounding too repetitive. WARPAINT met THE CURE in the most hypnotic way. The duo’s follow-up continues this path and expands the siblings’ darkness into new territories. Thankfully, they keep all the good elements of their debut record.
Walking on Fascination Street
The clouds hang low and black as Orion opens the album in the epic style of THE CURE‘s 1989 Disintegration record. Still, The Other I doesn’t fall for the old ‘sophomore album problem’ by making everything bigger and brighter. It pretty much sticks to the concept of the debut. Blindfold unfolds sinister magic as Colette Thurlow tenderly sings ‘I don’t want to find my way back home’ while continuing her path into the twilight. No Better Prize turns up the guitars and delivers the intensity we’ve come to love before Sleepwalker mixes that concept with the devastating atmosphere of the already mentioned Disintegration sound.
The dramaturgy of darkness
Just like its predecessor The Other I manages to create a gloomy but also uplifting intensity. 2:54 allow themselves only a few moments of tenderness, like the gentle interlude Tender Shoots. Shortly after this the energetic Crest accelerates the sound of the two-piece right before South slows it down a bit again. It’s also a good dramaturgy that makes The Other I so enjoyable. On album number two the Thurlow sisters sound more focussed, are more present and confident. They still like to hide themselves in the shadows but they are quite satisfied with that situation, it seems. And we’re willing victims to follow them anyway.
‘The Other I’ by British duo 2:54 is a must have record for all lovers of enigmatic wave rock that likes to unfold its magic in darker territories.
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