Mechanical heart within half human half skeleton body.

gloomy, infectious, influential, nocturnal, synthy

Depeche Mode ~ Stripped [1986]

Martin Gore famously paraphrased co-producer Daniel Miller’s shellacking of his demo tape, stating, “The songs aren’t good enough, there aren’t any singles and it’ll never get played on the radio.” That demo tape would become the basis of Depeche Mode’s fifth studio album Black Celebration. Lead single, “Stripped”, would be described as an “ominous and intriguing pop song”, reaching the top ten in five European countries (Finland, Ireland … Continue reading Depeche Mode ~ Stripped [1986]

disturbedByVoicesMarch 1, 2023May 28, 202316 Comments

affecting, bittersweet, infectious, melancholic

Grizzly Bear ~ Neighbors [2⊘17]

Sadly, when a relationship ends with a significant other, it is often the end. The end of shared dreams shared memories and sometimes even friendship. At times, this is due to lingering anger, yet other times it is simply borne of a necessity for self-preservation. If we were close, really close, it can be difficult to extricate ourselves and reestablish our own autonomy … Continue reading Grizzly Bear ~ Neighbors [2⊘17]

disturbedByVoicesFebruary 26, 2023May 28, 202313 Comments

cerebral, eerie, perversive, spoken word

The Golden Palominos ~ Holy [1996]

Welcome to the world of Anorexia Nervosa, on display and bitingly in your face. This spoken word narrative, provided in a simple yet potent textual fan-made video, reveals life from the anorexic’s (skewed) viewpoint. There will be rules that only the most disciplined (ill) are capable of following. Rules like cutting each admittedly tiny meal into tinier minuscule bites … Continue reading The Golden Palominos ~ Holy [1996]

disturbedByVoicesFebruary 21, 2023May 28, 202310 Comments

arresting, bittersweet, melancholic, soulful

Puma Blue ~ Hounds [2⊘22]

An apt portrayal of limbo, the sunless land between heaven and hell. The nether-region inhabited by those no longer bouncing betwixt, rather buried between, love and loneliness, pain and pleasure, life and death, where time’s pendulum has ceased movement, laid still upright and lifeless, awaiting a gesture of strength as an awakening. “Feels like no angels Follow where I tread
Made to make a home, but I’m Lost in wilderness instead … Continue reading Puma Blue ~ Hounds [2⊘22]

disturbedByVoicesFebruary 17, 2023May 28, 202315 Comments

affecting, arty, cerebral, influential

Portishead ~ We Carry On [2⊘⊘8]

I cannot count the number of times I was warned of regrets for inaction, but never reminded that actions themselves could also be rued. That gut hurt, that vulnerability more mental than physical we dolefully feel when we disappoint ourselves and others. We are all human, and therefore fallible, but that is of little consolation when mistakes are made that cannot be retracted or adequately amended, especially when unclear. “God … Continue reading Portishead ~ We Carry On [2⊘⊘8]