Stepping back from the impressive Vows, this debutant record suffers a retrospect, lingering in its shadow as an inferior product. Despite that, its an enjoyable record, a competent execution of ideas forging nightly Industrial Synthwave hybrids dwelling in pain and beauty. This tone is punctuated by the shy and meager vocals of Alex Gonzales. His range lacks the power its in reach of, opening up a continual sense of tenderness and vulnerability that actually plays rather well into the overall mood.
His appearances can be sparse as instrumental numbers break up I'm Waving Not Drowning's easy flow. Focusing on their merits and embellishing the power of rhythm, synth hit hard on tracks like Casa Blanca and Panic Room, spicing up aesthetics with a little novelty given there time in the limelight. This comes to fruition on closer Rye Fire. The arrival of its angelic vocal synth jostle plays in mechanical juxtaposition, cementing a dystopian atmosphere between heavenly piano melody breaks.
As already mentioned, this one felt a firm step behind its predecessor. The bands proximity to my favorite Depeche Mode era lured me. This album houses a rather underwhelming cover of their classic Stripped. The vocals feel shaky, the synths underwhelming and the added percussive might adds little to the original. Its a difficult song to match and sadly this cover just makes you want to put on the original instead. Despite this, Matte Blvck are a solid listen, a group with potential ahead of them.
Rating: 6/10