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Rating: Too soon forgotten, the Londoners Curve undoubtedly occupy a significant role in the music scene of the nineties.
The project was born in 1990 from the artistic collaboration between the charismatic singer Toni Halliday and the guitarist-bassist-programmer-multi-instrumentalist Dean Garcia, who were already together in State Of Play. Two years later, they would release what would become their masterpiece, (and I would also add the only noteworthy episode of their career), "Doppelgänger" (Anxious Music 1992), which featured contributions from two prominent figures in English production, such as Flood (who had already worked with Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Goldfrapp, The Jesus and Mary Chain), and Mr. Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Ride), who ensured a particularly sophisticated sound and very refined production solutions.
Clearly, with these premises, it could only result in a great work: and Doppelgänger, in fact, besides such distinctiveness, has the merit of sounding incredibly contemporary even 18 years later. The innovative style showcased would soon be picked up and reshaped by other artists, (for example, we recall Garbage, who have always been the target of controversies with the British band, accused of borrowing some of their ideas), [ideas that, to be fair, appear slightly only on the eponymous debut]. Toni and Dean, however, do not fail to speak well of the band, especially towards the mastermind Butch Vig, given the good relations that linked the two realities, (interesting is the anecdote that the historical producer of Sonic Youth, and of albums such as Nevermind and Siamese Dream, tried to contact Toni to offer her the role of the singer that would later go to Shirley Manson). It's hard then not to associate the latter with Halliday, considering the very similar timbre, another factor that significantly contributes to the constant comparison, both voices technically not extremely gifted, but equally capable of exuding sensuality and intensity in abundance, features that, although more present in the Scottish redhead, are certainly not lacking in the voice of Curve.
"Doppelgänger" thus presents itself as a well-done piece of work, and—in its diversity—extraordinarily homogeneous, dominated by heavy and obsessive rhythms ("Wish Your Dead"), and the airy vocals of Toni ("Lillies Dying"), which perfectly match the soft and velvety dark atmosphere ("Sandpit"), and the layered and distorted guitars of Garcia, forming a kind of typically Shoegaze sonic wall ("Split Into Fractions"), never overly exaggerated, but quite effective when called into play.
The result is a captivating blend of Rock, Electronic, Industrial, Shoegazing, and Synth Pop, where the lovelessian "wall of sound" from My Bloody Valentine roots (the splendid "Horror Head", very reminiscent of Only Shallow) meets the noisy textures of The Jesus And Mary Chain, and the ethereal dream pop melodies of Cocteau Twins ("Ice That Melts The Tips"), the latter being evident inspirations for them, particularly for the singer, who more than once ventures to evoke Fraser, with results clearly below expectations. Electronic elements abound in "Clipped" and the single "Fait Accompli", among the highest moments of the album.
The alluring voice of Halliday, who in the meantime has been more than appreciated on the dreamy "Think & Act", proves itself to be quite versatile even when in "Already Yours", with its eighties contaminations, alternating angelic and reflective moments, supported by loads of reverb, to others that are enticing and perverse when the accompaniment becomes harder, thanks to rock-solid riffs and redundant feedback. To confirm this, she manages to convince even on industrial-goth territories, like the powerful title track "Doppelgänger".
The richness of such an album will not be followed by the deserved success, and Curve, after several on and off breakups and temporary dissolutions, will fall into a highly predictable abyss of mediocrity, and the intermittent successors will serve for nothing, as they remain regularly light years away from their stunning debut: more industrial and introspective Cuckoo; electronically even more exasperated, with pieces akin to Prodigy and much goth, Come Clean; very trip hop the disappointing Gift. The duo will definitively disband in 2005, Halliday will continue with a few solo efforts and non-memorable collaborations (read: The Killers), while Dean will dive into interesting works targeted towards electrogoth already pursued in Curve’s path, (notably the excellent project The Secret Meeting).
To be rediscovered.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Already Yours (03:56)
A gift from God, a small creation
A prized possession without limitations
Behind these eyes, what do you see that isn't
already yours
already yours
already yours
In fact I never wanted anything more
In fact I've never wanted anything less
Oh [...] shouldn't treat me like a stranger
Do you see I have the same effect
Only this time on you
Behind your eyes, what can I see that isn't
already you
already you
already you
Voices of angels that I have [...]
Voices of angels I have [...]
Voices of angels I have [...]
Voices of angels that I have [...]
Behind these eyes, what can I see that isn't
already there
already yours
already there
already, already yours
(BV: Don't run away) [repeat 6]
02 Horror Head (03:42)
(THE Horror Head EP.)
Fireworks, blue and green
I can see what they sing
But you are away
You always smile
Boxing ring
The back of mules
You can really see, from the inside
Across the room
There's a horror in my head
When the blanket is gone
From the floor in my castle
Where I see the sun from
There's a horror in my head
When the blanket is gone
From the floor in my castle
Where I see the sun from
[-talk-]
In the comfort of this room
The challenge died
Remember you and me
We laughed 'til we cried
03 Wish You Dead (03:32)
You can dig that knife
Deep down inside me
Just don't say never again
It's that only thing
That stops me going crazy
I know you won't
'Cause you never do
And that's the nicest thing about you
So uncaring, so assuming
Back-stabbing, all-consuming
Don't step over my head
Don't step over my head
You can filter your poison into my sleep
But I know it's my heart
That you could never reach
I know you won't
'Cause the tools you choose
And that's the ugliest thing about you
So uncaring, so assuming
Back-stabbing, all-consuming
I've told a thousand lies through me
I've sold a thousand lies for you
Don't step over my line
Don't step over my time
Don't step over my head
'Cause I will wish you dead [repeat 7]
07 Split into Fractions (04:34)
(THE Doppelg�nger LP.)
Yeah
Guilty much more from new
I can't confide all I want to
Spiteful with the fact of life
Not everyone you meet is that nice
When we scratch below the surface
The characters have merged, [...]
That split into fractions in front of your eyes
I'm so bitchin', love to be it
My friends and I just love to meet
We meet all the time 'cause we think we're clever
So surreal, it makes us feel better
We think we're so, clever
The characters have merged, [...]
That split into fractions in front of your eyes
In front of them
There is nothing to behold
In front of them
You can't be sure what you're dealing with
And that's got to be good for you
I'd die on the cross before I crossed you
You know I'd never hurt you
I'm just not that type of girl
Die on the cross before I cross you
Know I'd never hurt you
Just not that type
I'm just not that type of girl
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[ Transcribed by listening to the CD a *number* of times (how strange eh?) ]
[ Corrections, whatever : E-Mail me or write your own! chief@lysator.liu.se ]
[ This is uXu File #141 - Curve - Radio Sessions - ----uXu Lyrics 1993---- ]
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Underground eXperts United 1993
ftp: ftp.lysator.liu.se directory: /pub/texts/uxu
etext.archive.umich.edu directory: /pub/Zines/UXU
centreville-3207.dorm.umd.edu directory: /pub/uxu
fsp: 146.169.2.1 21 dir: /other101/Online-Book-Initiative/NewsLetters/UXU
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10 Sandpit (03:27)
Are we savages, born without hope
Last on these highways, existing to go
Swallowed my pride, gutted me from the inside
Left me in this pool of doubt
Now I don't think I can get out
But you can laugh, you can laugh, you can laugh
'Cause you think that you're better than me
If we are the instigators, of our times
Why do we harmonize then revolutionize our crimes
Down in this sandpit of misbegotten youth
We can show them the songs, the one truth
But you can laugh, you can laugh, you can laugh
'Cause you think that you're better than
You think that you're better than everyone
I'm just trying to do the right thing
I'm just trying to do the right thing
The right thing
Escape to my eyes [repeat 5]
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[ Transcribed by listening to the CD a *number* of times + with a lot of help ]
[ from heksterb@cs.utwente.nl's great Curve-lyrics file. Corrections, whatever]
[ E-Mail me or write your own! chief@lysator.liu.se ----uXu File #107---- ]
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ftp: ftp.lysator.liu.se directory: /pub/texts/uxu
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11 Clipped (03:51)
Only in days, they get together
They're talking volumes, and drink some coffee
Clipped [...], clear and bright
They pour out [...], their own true mankind
There's no truth, it's extinct
There's no lies, that's gone too
There's no truth, it's extinct
There's no lies, that's gone too
All he says causes scandal
I've heard it said that he's the original of the vandal
He steals your words
Clears our mind
There's no way, you can fool me
There's no way, that's for sure
There's no way, like accepting
There's no way, that's damned sure
There's no way, you can fool me
There's no way, that's for sure
Hopelessly untrue
Yeah yeah
There's no truth
There's no lies
There's no way, you can fool me
There's no way, that's for sure
There's no way, you can move me
There's no way, for sure
There's no truth
There's no lies
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