Album Review: Erica Nockalls - "Dark Music From A Warm Place"

 

Best known as the violinist in the 21st century incarnation of the Wonder Stuff, Erica Nockalls has also carved out a decent solo career for herself in tandem with her "day job" and Dark Music From A Warm Place is her third solo album and, as with its two predecessors, Imminent Room and EN2, it takes the listener on a journey down the less travelled dark alleyways of pop music.

With Nockalls' violin put front and centre in these dark pop tunes, the stark drum machines and guitars actually go into almost industrial style levels of distortion on the likes of The King Of Want while I Know goes into almost trip-hop territory. For me though the album highlight is the stark The Dying Snow which cuts the sound right back to brilliant effect while running it close, Eiffel's Eye marries a pop sensibility with a sinister lyrical undercurrent to good effect. At the other end of the scale, House of Erica and Pearls And A Grin see her heading into more energetic post-punk territory and the six minute Build Me A Ship is a lurching but breathtaking piano led ballad.

Dark Music From A Warm Place is definitely a bit different to the sort of stuff we normally cover here on Nite Songs but it's a good effort which shows off Nockalls' skill as both a songwriter and a musician. Those who enjoy listening to other left-of-centre innovators like Phoebe Bridgers should find a lot to enjoy here.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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