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Rating:
For a HIM enthusiast like me, the news of new material regarding Valo & company can only be welcome. And the Finnish quintet promptly satisfies its fans, releasing new CDs with almost obsessive regularity that seem to have been created only as collector's items.
And here I am finally holding in my hands the first of these two "Uneasy Listening"! What can I say... HIM never disappoint, and the CD cover is very inviting: the usual well-crafted artwork, this time with a touch of Art Nouveau style. The problem arises when you flip the case to look at the tracklist: a collection of remixes and b-sides, most of which were previously released in various singles or special editions of different albums.
The various tracks are of decidedly inconsistent quality. The acoustic versions of "The Funeral Of Hearts" and "Please Don’t Let It Go" are decent, where Ville showcases his extraordinary voice. "Close To The Flame" is very good, with a splendid piano base, as well as "Gone With The Sin" and "In Joy And Sorrow", the latter having an exclusively string base, so much so at times it feels like you're listening to pieces by Apocalyptica. The remaining songs are too similar to the originals or decidedly mediocre, plagued by audio quality that is sometimes truly poor.
In short, albeit somewhat reluctantly, I would feel inclined to recommend this collection only to the most die-hard HIM fans. In the end, it is not worth its price: it is decidedly inferior compared to "And Love Said No" and also to any other HIM album. Now I just hope that after the second volume of this collection, perhaps a bit heavier, HIM will focus on their truly spectacular studio albums.
We eagerly await "Venus Doom"!
Tracklist
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