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Psy'Aviah
Creationism

Posted: Wednesday, October 24, 2007
By: Matthew Johnson
Assistant Editor

Produced by Implant's Len Lemeire, Psy'Aviah’s first full-length album is eminently suited to the dance clubs. The Belgian trio incorporates dark EBM elements alongside energizing breakbeats and even a hint of guitar, starting off with the big beat thumping and jagged rock edge of "In Silence" and then launching into the slick but dirty "Love Hate Destruction." Unfortunately, while the production, beats, and synths are solid, the songs themselves are often lacking in substance. "Infatuated" is funky big beat, but the chorus is painfully clichéd, going so far as to actually use the phrase, "Love me, baby." The band at least tries on "Pick Up Artist" and "Avon Girls," with lead male singer Yves Schelpe and female vocalist Emelie Nicolai taking on the roles of predatory man and vain woman respectively, but the lyrics are vague enough that it's not quite clear whether Schelpe and Nicolai are satirizing the behaviors they describe or embracing them. Much better are the darker, simpler tracks; "In the Dark" uses brief but effective vocal loops to evoke a sense of palpable self-hatred, and the gritty techno beats and rasping vocal echoes of "Demons in Mind" make for perfect paranoia on the dance floor. Title track "Creationism" is also interesting, layering samples of a Biblical literalist schoolteacher over sharp electro beats; regardless of its actual intent, the children's glazed chants of "Jesus" in the background are positively chilling. In the end, Creationism isn't bad at all if you're just dancing to it, but the disappointment is that it could have been quite a bit better. This trio has brains and talent; they shouldn't settle for fun but empty club tracks when they've already proven they can be smart without sacrificing the beat.