Curve
Doppelgänger

THE REVIEW

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.