The Album Title That Presumably Means “Rotten Party”
Edmonton’s Concealer is a new project from Polaris Prize nominated songwriter Mark Davis. And you know what it sounds like to me? A darker, debauchery-filled take on Depeche Mode’s 1981 debut album Speak and Spell. Heck, there’s even a song titled here “Your Master’s Wishes”, so, it would seem to me, that there’s a David Gahan love-in happing here. Take glitchy drum machines with a fuzzed out Joy Division bass line, and, voila! You have Concealer in a nutshell in that one song. So it would be easy to peg Concealer as a throwback group – and they might just very well be – but there’s a distinct feel to the sound that positions it in Indie Nation 2015. That said, I’m a little on the fence on this one. Simply put, the songwriting isn’t exactly here – this is all style over substance. But what style it is! If you got yourself all dressed up in leather, Concealer would be right there to provide the fashionable soundtrack for your night on the twon. What’s more, Concealer knows how to ride a vibe. Their album Fêted : Fetid plays more than 50 minutes, so this is an album to get lost in quite a bit. If you have the headspace for it, this disc more than aptly supplies.
The commendable thing about Concealer on this album is that they are the masters of the drawn-out song, which goes back to my comments of a moment ago. The final two songs, “Sank” and “Throw Me to the Lions” run six and 10-and-a-half minutes respectively, and, surprisingly, they are among the finest cuts on the album for some intangible reason. Maybe this is because Concealer is at their best when they’re infusing all of this style into long form theatrics. Whatever the case may be, Fêted : Fetid is not a bad little album. Some songs are better than others – I like the pop smarts of “Horns and Crowns”, which sounds remotely like Male Bonding’s “Weird Feelings”, and the overall fuzziness of the album makes it feel low down and dirty. However, this all goes back to style, and, once you scratch the surface, you’re left with an album that isn’t very deep. Thinking man’s art pop this ain’t. Still, Concealer is worth a listen, and my takeaway is that these songs might work better in a live setting with a tremendous light show. That’s because Concealer are that kind of band: all pizzazz and snazz. If glitter rock with cheap drum machines is your deal, then seek this one out pronto.
Rating: 6 outta 10
Album: Fêted : Fetid
Artist: Concealer
Label: Coax
Release Date: 2015-09-04
Invisible Ink Music Blog 