reviews / 2011

THE PRESENT MOMENT - Loyal To A Fault

Name: THE PRESENT MOMENT – Loyal To A Fault
Item: Loyal To A Fault
Rating: 6.5
Author: Massimiliano Mercurio

2011 (Mannequin / desire)

darkwave, electro

by Massimiliano Mercurio

6.5

It's common knowledge that the Eighties revival is back in fashion; and here it comes, right on schedule like the fastest Japanese bullet train, straight from Los Angeles: the third album by Present Moment. For Rome-based label Mannequin it's release number eighteen, born out of a collaboration with Desire Records.

Trying to bring back the sound of that era today isn't necessarily a bad thing; indeed, "Loyal To A Fault" is an attractive record, carefully crafted down to the smallest detail. The ten tracks that make up this limited-edition vinyl flow pleasantly between EBM electronic beats ("Alone"), eighties synth leitmotivs ("Cheap Thrill") and seductive dark and gothic-wave shades ("Rejection"). Also worth praising are the fun, "plasticky" synth flourishes ("The Distance Between Us"), which alternate and blend with the clean, warm, melancholic voice of frontman Scott Milton.

"Loyal To A Fault" is tailor-made for a well-defined type of listener. It's a nostalgic record, for those who love the synthetic, backcombed and colourful Eighties and that strand of coldwave that isn't too bleak. If we really have to draw comparisons: it's a decent hybrid of very early Depeche Mode and Sisters Of Mercy.

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11/09/2011

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This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Massimiliano Mercurio, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition