Band: The Danse Society
Album title: The Loop
Release date: 15 March 2024
Label: Self-Released
Genre: Post-Punk, Gothic Rock, Alternative Rock
Tracklist:
01. Divided To The End
02. The Lies
03. The Sound And The Fury
04. The Loop
05. If You Were Only Listening
06. Algorythm Control
07. Shake Shake
08. Undone
Cult British band The Danse Society, whose age in the post-punk movement is probably still remembered as one of those bands that shaped the then "dark" scene in the early 80s along with The Cure, Siouxie And The Banshees, Echo & The Bunnymen, Bauhaus, Killing Joke, and some others, is back with its eighth full-length. Four years after the excellent Sailing Mirrors, The Danse Society surprised again with its innovation and fearless experimentation. Of course, the band, whose only original member is guitarist Paul Nash, who, together with his wife singer Maethelyiah, form the core of The Danse Society, only vaguely resembles its early 80s itself. Those who have followed the band since the reformation in 2010 know what I'm talking about.
Opinions differ; while some cannot accept the fact that The Danse Society continues and tries to keep alive the band's tradition with a new sound, different (female) vocals and complex compositional structures, others glorify the group to the skies and consider the modern-day The Danse Society as one of the most advanced bands in the broader sense of "dark rock" music. I don't think this affects The Danse Society too much since, even on the new album, it challenges its listeners with sound and structures that are original, complex, unpredictable and, from a technical-compositional point of view, exceptional. Namely, The Loop features eight songs that turn everything still acceptable in post-punk and gothic rock upside down. In addition to the typical The Danse Society post-punk/gothic rock sound, which, due to its nature, is very close to alternative rock, the band toys with jazz, avant-garde, blues, as well as horror ambient elements, 80s synth-wave and futuristic pop.
Without any real suspense, the very first bars of the opener, "Divided To The End", indicate what to expect, and if we are surprised by what we hear, whether positive or negative, there is much more to come. In addition to Maethelyiah's excellent dark, emotive but very strong voice, the qualities of which we have seen many times, especially on her Blooding Mask project, we are drawn into this musical whirlwind together with a classic rock band also by the saxophone, trumpet and various percussion instruments. I don't know what to say; sometimes it sounds like a kind of retro-futuristic blues-jazz-rock, which doesn't want to be just that, so it turns to the dark side. With songs like the excellent "The Lies" and "The Sound And The Fury", we can relax and catch some much-needed darkened air. Several times also on the border between progressive and avant-garde, as in the case of the groover "Algorithm Control", The Danse Society quite skilfully provides a soundscape that calls to the fact that the matter requires multiple listens.
The band makes it clear that it comes from the 80s but fearlessly looks to the future. It's amazing how skillfully it serves dramatic sounds that could easily be the basis of a horror movie, like in the title track, "The Loop". At this point, Maethelyiah also lets us know the extent of her vocal capabilities and that she is no stranger to operatic singing. Somewhat more emotional, moody yet brooding sounds and an interesting uplifting sound structure of the first single, "If You Were Only Listening", and the closing "Undone", which, for me, is one of the better tracks and, in addition to the instruments already mentioned, features a melancholic cello and a violin, adding a lot of depth. Even the playful and somewhat country-tinged "Shake Shake" is interesting in its own way and adds a lot of dynamics to an already hectic album.
Lyrics mainly talk about interpersonal and socially critical topics, given skillfully to be easily imprinted in the listener's head. As they say about it: "Life is not like a ‘bowl of cherries’, for most it is an endless drudge around an infinite loop manipulated by the elite and media who rule by division." The production itself bothers me a little, for the rhythm section is a bit too weak - sounding somehow garagey. In my opinion, it would be better if they, at this point, added more power. Also, the whole thing is a bit too jazzy for my taste, but there is still a good share of darker mystique. A little more dark synths wouldn't hurt either, and neither would harder guitars, like in "The Lies" track, as they add a lot of power. Regardless, The Loop is a great album, slightly complex, but it becomes homely after some listens. The Danse Society is an exceptional band, one of the few trying to innovate post-punk, and does it subtly with a great deal of technical sophistication.
The review was written by Tomaz
Rating: 8/10