In what comes as a bit of a blow, the Philidelphia quartet of Night Sins have had to push the release date of sophomore album To London Or The Lake back to December 10th, rather than its original launch day at the end of this month. But after debut LP New Grave gave fans a healthy dose of ’80s style gothic rock the likes of which isn’t nailed enough these days, any subsequent release is likely to be well worth the wait.
As it turns out, this is exactly the case on the new record. Thundering into life with ‘Air Dance’, To London Or The Lake is an explosive effort that any Sisters of Mercy or She Wants Revenge fan would do well to put on their radar. The echoing vocals are the most noticeable, and most hit or miss element of Night Sins’ sound, but for the most part everything comes together well, even if at times the band sound like the 69 Eyes performing in a railway tunnel. ‘Evangeline’ is a more synth-focused piece, almost Joy Division-esque leading into the interlude of ‘Rain’. ‘Bound ‘Round the World’ and ‘Heaven In The Snow’ are strong tracks to take the record into its later stages, while the closing track of ‘Neon Light Intoxicants’ is another effect-laden comedown to just over twenty minutes of heady gothica, wrapping up an album that is certainly one to check out for existing fans of the gothic rock sound, though it’s unlikely to be the record to convert any who haven’t been won over by the genre’s heavyweights.
It’s a step up, however, from debut record New Grave. To London Or The Lake has noticeably been given a little more polish, though New Grave may have the edge in terms of strongest tracks. Opening piece ‘Playing Dead’ is one of the more successful tracks in hooking you into the four-piece’s doom-drenched sound, while ‘The Stranger’ stands out simply as a brooding giant, alongside perhaps the album’s highlight of ‘Spectral Bliss’. Simply put, New Grave is the more immersive record; the reverb being more of a boost than the occasional hindrance it proves to be on To London Or The Lake. Penultimate track ‘Winged Thing’ is massive, a high-intensity outlier from the band’s typically more reserved sound, taking Night Sins’ debut into a confident conclusion.
The fatal flaw of Night Sins is simple, in that the vocal effects make it so hard to be engaged by the band’s lyrical strength, which is so often the strongest point of gothic rock and darkwave acts. The 69 Eyes’ X and She Wants Revenge’s Valleyheart are examples of the superb end results that can be reached when a ban simply lets their vocalist be heard, but with the lungs of Night Sins so often drowned out by reverb, its difficult to experience the same level of immersion. Instrumentally, however, there is a promise to Night Sins, and anyone who still longs for more doses of darkness on their musical radar, the Philadelphia four-piece are well worthy of fitting the bill.
Useful Links: Facebook / Bandcamp
For Fans Of: The 69 Eyes, Sisters of Mercy
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