Band/Artist: She Past Away
Release House: Metropolis Records
Genre: Post-Punk/Darkwave
One Sentence Synopsis: Post-Punk/Darkwave duo from Athens, Greece, with Turkish lyrics
Series: Standalone
Single/EP/Album: Album
Release Date: May 31, 2019
Estimated Length: 41:27
MSRP: $10.09 USD
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Reviewed by: Mother Star
Final Score: 5 Moons (out of 5)
Disko Anksiyete takes one back to the 80’s in more ways than just one. In addition to a hefty Sisters of Mercy influence, there is a very strong new wave influence, e.g. A Flock of Seagulls and Nena. The album does not, however, recycle old material. She Past Away keeps the old elements sounding new and fresh and relevant, as well as insanely dance-able.
Theme
The lyrics are in Turkish, and I do not understand any Turkish. Google translate obviously will never do lyrics justice but can reveal the subject matter. What can be determined about the lyrics is this album makes Turkish sound like the most beautiful language in all the world, and like it was made for this kind of music. I have heard Turkish spoken before, I am sure, and I as I listened I found myself wondering, “How on earth did I miss how incredibly gorgeous this language is?!” That is the mark of an excellent lyricist: make whatever language you are writing in sound like the most beautiful music all by itself, like it was made for the song and not the other way around. Therefore, despite not being able to understand the words, this album does have excellent lyric quality, indeed. These songs make you want to learn Turkish in order to fully appreciate them.
She Past Away Band
Probably my favorite tracks on the album are “Renksiz” and “Ağıt”. “Renksiz” for the more frequent rhythm changes that come with the refrain, and the sudden fake ending followed by an equally sudden real ending comes off real well, too. “Ağıt” is such a sexy track; very dreamy, dance-able, atmospheric, very dark, and a notably sensual vocal delivery. Those are probably the two darkest sounding tracks, in my opinion. Several songs also have notable musical depth, “Girdap” and “Sonbahar” for example.
Presentation
Trad Goths who came of age in the late 1980’s will probably love this record. It has so many elements of classic Goth rock, the deep vocals, the atmosphere, the pulsing beats. It also has a lot of 80’s pop elements that are also very popular with elder Goths of that generation. She Past Away has built a following wiping the dust off the classic Goth and new wave signature elements and making something totally new with them, and their latest effort will not disappoint.
Audience Fit
I would consider Disko Anksiyete a must-have for Gothic DJ gigs or radio shows. While I am not a big fan of new wave, the obvious mark it left on this artist does not take away from the overall enjoyability of the record. The feel is still dark and the performance powerful. Even the pickiest trad Goths are likely to appreciate any selection taken form this album.
Closing Thoughts
From its instrumental opening “Bosluk” to the climax of “Ağıt”, familiar and treasured sounds come together to create something new and unexpected. Younger Goths in the early 20’s age range can appreciate it along with the older, even the elitist crowd. I don’t recommend missing a listen for this one.
Theme: 5 Moons (out of 5.0)
Presentation: 5 Moons (out of 5.0)
Audience Fit: 5 Moons (out of 5.0)
Final Score (not an average): 5 Moons (out of 5.0)
