Gothic world fusion
First album in 16 years from these ex-4AD musical globetrotters. Vocals for the songs switch between Brendan Perry’s deep, ruminative delivery and Lisa Gerrard’s stunning ululations. Every song is slow here, and DCD like to take their time with letting these songs unfold and progress. DCD fans probably won’t find any surprises here, but it’s good to have the band back. Favorites: 4, 5, 6, 8. No FCCs detected.

1. (7:33)—Vocals by Perry. Glacial and epic. Laments a broken generation. Opens with keyboards; a horn section appears sometimes.
2. (6:51)—Meditative. Reminiscent of DCD’s “The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove.” Vocals by Gerrard.
3. (6:54)—Vocals by Gerrard. Hypnotic, exotic sounding strings open and remain throughout the song. Intensifies in the last two minutes.
4. *(6:37)—Vocals by Perry. Haunting. The inclusion of piano makes this song more pop-oriented than the others, but it works very well. Great lyrics, too.
5. *(8:02)—Vocals by Gerrard. The unusual time signature adds welcome tension.
6. *(5:45)—Vocals by Perry. Great polyrhythms. Lovely dramatic melancholy in the arrangement and the vocals.
7. (7:51)—Vocals by Gerrard and Perry. Processional style. Has some Celtic influence. Builds near the end.
8. *(6:38)—Vocals by Perry. The beginning sounds like Stars of the Lid are guesting. Two and a half minutes in, Perry’s singing reaches majestic heights.