Record Label: S/R
Genre: Dark Wave/Shoegaze
Band Link: www.stomachermusic.com
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Stomacher does an excellent mashup of Pornography-era Cure and Radiohead’s OK Computer. Songs are atmospheric, dark landscapes with undercurrents of melody, though sometimes it takes awhile to get there. Robert Smith-meets-Thom Yorke vocals, swirly/misty guitars, and lyrics like “I want heaven and I won’t stop / If I drink all the blood in the cup / would that be enough?” add to the dark wave time warp.

Some songs like “Peasant Song” and “Police” work jangly pop into the downcast mood, to similar success as The Cure, but even the slowest, moodiest tunes on here are superbly crafted and manage to avoid pitying self-indulgence. Very good stuff.

Bottom Line: Warm fuzzies wrapped in gloom.
Notable Tracks: Behavior, Peasant Song
Overall Rating: