By Gruesome Greg
If he’s not exactly a household name, it’s worth noting that Selim Lemouchi was the main songwriter behind Dutch occult-rock outfit The Devil’s Blood. Now do I have your interest? His first solo album features a whole host of collaborators across these five tracks—it even has a Mini-Moog!
The record begins, curiously enough, with a southern street preacher asking the lord if he sees him. From there, “Chiaroscuro” lifts off into some light, airy, psychedelic territory, shades of Floyd and Hawkwind, more so the former, albeit with the occasional high-pitched (female?) vocal you’d never hear from Roger Waters. “Next Stop Universe B” continues in the spacey prog-rock vibe, with robotic vocals to boot.
A droning, atmospheric intro kicks off “The Ghost of Valentine,” a haunting tune that lurks in dark corners—a Halloween soundtrack of sorts. Suffice to say, they’re starting to lose me after seven minutes of that. “The Deep Dark Waters” bring the vocals back, but this 11-minute number is not for the impatient, a lengthy new-wave/shoegaze (newgaze?) track that doesn’t go anywhere fast. Let’s just say that if you were expecting anything like The Devil’s Blood, you’ll be disappointed in all but album-closer “Molasses,” which features The Mouth of Satan (as she was then known) on vocals. This one is heavier, but still progressive, ending the journey on a high note.
(Ván Records)
