Levinhurst
Perfect Life
Full Contact
Levinhurst is former The Cure founder Lol Tolhurst’s latest project, and my all time favorite band is The Cure, so there is going to be an undeniable bias in this review, just to warn you.
Truth be told, the music on Perfect Life is very unlike anything that The Cure has ever done. It’s electronic, slow, plodding, bass-heavy and enchanting. Lol programs the music, while his wife, Cindy, sings. She sings in a grandiose manner, similar to the lead vocalist from Portishead crossed with a deeper-voiced version of the girl from The Cardigans. Lol’s programming reminds me of Violator-era Depeche Mode and early Nine Inch Nails, with a lot more power and bass.
The best songs here are the most aggressive and loud ones, including the bass heavy “Lost.” It opens with an overdriven bass drum pounding away, as Erasure-like keyboard melodies twinkle around in the background. Cindy’s vocals are perfect here, as they are somewhat buried in the mix so that the music can propel the song. “Sorrow” is another strong track, longing in vocals and plodding in beat. It sounds like it would do well at clubs, if given the chance.
Overall, Perfect Life is really good. It’s way better than any of the other stuff Lol has done since leaving The Cure. Fans of The Cure should give this a try. It’s similar in mood to the first few Cure albums, leading me to believe that Robert wasn’t solely responsible for that wonderful era of Cure history. The rest of you should give it a try because it’s dark, danceable and quite unique.
Levinhurst: http://www.levinhurst.com/
