THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE – SUPERSTITION

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I am a musician. I haven’t played in a long time, but I can still put my ear on music and feel what it was like when I was part of a band. My instrument was an extension of me, and when playing it, I could evoke feelings and sensations. Where words failed, music succeeded. Music is a means of communication, in which a musician can use their instrument to express emotion, and that is what makes it sublime. Which is why I struggled with Superstition.

I know what you are saying: “Shut Up! Get off of your soap box and dish on this album!” I know! I wanted to get that out before jumping into this one, and mainly because I don’t want you, the reader, to perceive this review as negative. It truly is not. I enjoyed this album, it just took longer for me to appreciate it, because of the style and genre.  I love all music (country I have a hard time stomaching though); however, I’m not a huge fan of gothy new wave synth-pop, which is kind of where Superstition lies.

Deciphering this album has been quite a challenge. I’ve listened to it so many times, and in many different ways to be able to justly give it its due diligence. When you listen to it so many times you begin to pull it apart and listening to every layer. This album has so much production on it, but once listened to enough, it can be thoroughly appreciated. Every time you play a song, you hear something new. I’ve listened to this album many times, from my car, my shower, and from my computer; however, this album is best appreciated when delivered straight into the ear.

“Divide” opens with a surreal backdrop of rain and waves that suddenly pushes into a 90’s synth new-wave pop beat.  Chibi’s vocals are angelic and airy, but as we continue through the song into the solos and resolutions, we encounter a raspy dark vocal that introduces a powerful guitar solo. We continue to creep into the key change, and we resolve with into a crash of ocean waves. The darker realms explored by the vocals create an interesting contrast, allowing us to tie the title to the style.

“Diaries” reinvigorates our belief in the power of the synthesizer. It bombards the senses from the intro and throughout, but if you listen to it specifically, it owns its own life and texture, completely separate from the rest of the musicians. It’s as if this is several songs bundled into one.

If not listening to “Superstition” straight in the ear, I would have bypassed and not given it a second listen. You have to infuse yourself with it to truly get it. Its tempos morph and meander whilst keeping a heartbeat-esque foundation for the band to explore the space with. The synth provides a sinuous and syrupy web for the vocals and guitar to travel side by side along. As an added interest, the synth is the main character, allowing it to takeover the standard vocal chorus. They combine in the key change to allow the song to slowly unravel into the resolution.

Wind howls open into “Destroyer”, which features a growly and wicked Chibi vocal presentation. Out of all the songs on this album, this one is the most memorable, as it takes up residence in your head, and you find yourself nonsensically humming its tune.  Another personal favorite, this song reminds me of the dichotomous nature of the songs made popular by Shakespears Sister, where Siobhan would growl and Marcella would grace the sonic space with ethereal lightness.

With trepidation and heavy breathing, a twinkling burst of synth breaths life into “Surrender”. The tempo is kept lively with the syncopation provided by the synth, and along with Chibi, they coax the listener to surrender to them.

“Oceania” is straight out of the late 80’s, cut from the same cloth as The Jets.  It’s simple synth-pop, with a sprinkling of guitars and goth added in for good measure.

Vocal layering, caressed by the synth make “Rain” a lovely addition to this collection. It stands out by being a more languid piece of audial splendor, in both rhythm and shaping. The sound effects dribble into “Beyond” and synths are bright while Chibi continues to shade and paint the canvas with her flute-like musings.

“The Other Side” has a nice grungy intro that teases with menace. Chibi’s pipes take over and we part from the promise of danger into her melodically beautiful realm, until the the solo hits, mesmerizing over a drudgy groove. This is the most metal song on this album. With that being said, it bleeds straight into the eerie instrumental and majestic ending: “Trinity”. It’s synthesizers, in metallic fanfare, bid us goodbye in grace and style.

I liken this album to the sun glistening across a still lake. It’s an awe inspiring sight that takes your breath away. However, when the sun shines so bright, it’s sometimes hard to appreciate what we are looking at, which is a lake. With Superstition, I have a hard time discerning when emotion is felt. I know it’s there, its just everything else is so shiny that I can’t feel it.

The Birthday Massacre is not treading new ground with Superstition. The songs follow standard music structure. What they are doing though is bringing back that rich gothy new wave club sound of the early to mid 90s.

All in all this is a good album. I really enjoyed listening to it. Since it’s not actually a heavy metal/rock ‘n roll album, I can’t give it a skull rating. I take that back. I could. On a skull meter, this album would receive a solid 3 out of 5 skulls – and mostly because it doesn’t move me. It doesn’t touch or speak to me. When I experience music, I want to walk away feeling like I’ve been through something.

However, I don’t want to fault this album because it’s simply not the genre I prefer to listen to. This album has SO many great qualities, that if it had been in the style and genre I like to listen to, I would have scored it higher. So, I made it its own scale. This album gets 4 ½ shimmering bunnies.

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