I LOVE YOU BUT I’VE CHOSEN DARKNESS
Fear Is On Our Side
Secretly Canadian
· I prefer daylight.
A friend and I were having an argument about what marks a band as truly important. My hypothesis was that any band from which other bands could borrow profusely and still make something worthwhile and new-sounding would be one of the few to remain important for ages to come. Ripping from Joy Division is a good idea. Borrowing pages from someone like The Verve, on the other hand, isn’t.
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness seem to have got the message a little bit confused. All the Joy Division hallmarks are in place – even the band’s name sounds like the kind of thing Ian Curtis might have used to break up with someone – but there’s a lot missing. First and foremost are songs.
Paul Barker (of Ministry and Revolting Cocks) lends his producer skills, plastering ’80s style sheen on all the walls. It’s a neat trick, and songs like "According to Plan" work well enough until you realize there’s nothing to grab onto. By the time "We Choose Faces" comes around, I can’t quite tell anymore if I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness really want to ape the Division or are secretly far more interested in the epic ballad moments of U2.
And between those two possibilities, I can’t think of a single good thing U2’s influence has done for any of us yet.
|
Copyright ©2006 FFWD. All rights reserved.