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REVIEWS
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Automated
Sessions of Expressions
Tension
Questions
Marionette
Unit
Neutrino Glace
Gravity
Crash
Version
Strange
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Frightdoll
Reference Version
FrightDoll Records
Posted: Tuesday, November 20, 2007
By: Carl Jenkinson
By: Carl Jenkinson
A promising electro artist makes her debut with an album that shows potential, but is ultimately let down by a lack of experience.
The liner notes make clear that Frightdoll is a solo project with her debut album even being released on her own label, making it truly a labor of love. The trouble with releasing albums under your own steam is that the often valuable feedback that label execs and outside producers can provide is absent, which is something I'm convinced this artist could benefit from.
The main problem is that, in many cases, her undoubtedly high compositional skills are hindered by her lack of experience, which means that while there are plenty of good ideas floating around here, they don't quite come off. For instance, only an imaginative artist would have the vision to combine such an offbeat lead with such a strong sequence and rhythm combo that gives "Marionette" such a distinctive feel and there's no reason why "Sessions of Expression," which sits somewhere between synthpop and EBM in terms of power, wouldn't prove popular with most electro lovers if it were only a bit more varied and was beefed up a tad. It's also not lacking in variety as "Questions" shows the artist's more atmospheric side with some thoughtful voice effects complementing the music well. The talent is so obviously there, which makes this a rather frustrating experience, especially on the ill-judged excursion into poppier electroclash realms on "Unit." What sounds like a bum note (but isn't) only adds to the track's cheap feeling, as if someone who can't play is having a dabble on a cheapo home keyboard, while "Neutrino Glace" suffers from a jarring combination of piano and overly assertive industrial rhythms. Yes, it could have been an effective contrast, but it just sounds a mess. It's only on the penultimate number, "Version," that it all starts to come together with the spoken, emotionless voice being offset by some simple but effective melodies.
This, however, is not really enough to save the album from sounding more like a demo (and if it were, I'd have gone a lot easier on it) and fails to make the grade as a full-blown release. Maybe the passage of time will allow Frightdoll to fulfill her potential more fully or maybe a more experienced guiding hand could be brought in, but either way, this doesn't quite cut it, I'm afraid.
The main problem is that, in many cases, her undoubtedly high compositional skills are hindered by her lack of experience, which means that while there are plenty of good ideas floating around here, they don't quite come off. For instance, only an imaginative artist would have the vision to combine such an offbeat lead with such a strong sequence and rhythm combo that gives "Marionette" such a distinctive feel and there's no reason why "Sessions of Expression," which sits somewhere between synthpop and EBM in terms of power, wouldn't prove popular with most electro lovers if it were only a bit more varied and was beefed up a tad. It's also not lacking in variety as "Questions" shows the artist's more atmospheric side with some thoughtful voice effects complementing the music well. The talent is so obviously there, which makes this a rather frustrating experience, especially on the ill-judged excursion into poppier electroclash realms on "Unit." What sounds like a bum note (but isn't) only adds to the track's cheap feeling, as if someone who can't play is having a dabble on a cheapo home keyboard, while "Neutrino Glace" suffers from a jarring combination of piano and overly assertive industrial rhythms. Yes, it could have been an effective contrast, but it just sounds a mess. It's only on the penultimate number, "Version," that it all starts to come together with the spoken, emotionless voice being offset by some simple but effective melodies.
This, however, is not really enough to save the album from sounding more like a demo (and if it were, I'd have gone a lot easier on it) and fails to make the grade as a full-blown release. Maybe the passage of time will allow Frightdoll to fulfill her potential more fully or maybe a more experienced guiding hand could be brought in, but either way, this doesn't quite cut it, I'm afraid.
