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THE REVIEW
It's difficult, too difficult to write about this album. At least without falling into partisan judgments or terrible omissions. I've never been skilled at jotting down biblical reviews, but in the face of a biblical work, I will do my best without venturing into those areas which, as a non-musician, I do not understand or perceive in their entirety.
Lycia is a reality born towards the end of the 80s. With albums such as "A Day in a Stark Corner" and "Ionia", they have redefined the coordinates of gothic after its most flourishing season. The members were, and still are today, Mike VanPortfleet, David Galas, and the then debutant Tara Vanflower.
The sound of Lycia owes much to Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins, but also to Shoegaze, Dream Pop, and certain elements of Pink Floyd. After two masterpieces like the ones mentioned a few lines above, here comes another cornerstone of their discography.
Not a single album but a double! And what a double!
In this instance, acoustic guitars and bass play a role of significant importance compared to the past works. Although, to be fair, keyboards continue to play the leading role. More than an hour of glacial, stunning, gentle, heavenly, and hellish melancholic progression. Not a note out of place. Not an episode that bores the listener.
Released in the distant (at least for me) 1995, this "The Burning Circle And Then Dust" represents the summation of a genre that at the time was considered doomed. Recorded in the desert of Arizona, this double album well expresses a feeling of desolation but at the same time of clear freedom.
With The 3rd and the Mortal and Black Tape For A Blue Girl, Lycia renewed that dreamy dark that gave so much in the 80s. Adding to it a touch of spacey and rarefied psychedelia.
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Summary by Bot
This review praises Lycia’s 1995 double album 'The Burning Circle and Then Dust' as a cornerstone of gothic and dream pop music. It highlights the band’s skillful blend of acoustic and electronic sounds, the album’s melancholic yet freeing atmosphere, and its importance within the genre’s evolution. The reviewer emphasizes the album’s consistency and its lasting impact alongside peers like The 3rd and the Mortal.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
04 Sleepless (03:27)
i can't think, think about anything
i can't think of anything at all
my thoughts drift but keep coming back to you
face to the ground, eyes closed hard
i still care
i can't sleep, i just lay here awake
sleep comes but quickly fades away
i'll just lay here and wait for the morning sun
sleepless again, eyes closed hard
i still care
i care, i care...
08 Pray (05:20)
everyday i pray for you
every day i pray
every night i think about...
every day i pray
i pray... for better things to come
Lycia
Lycia is an American darkwave band formed in 1988 by Mike VanPortfleet in Arizona. Longtime collaborators include Tara VanFlower and David Galas. Their sound blends ethereal atmospheres, ambient drones, and glacial rhythms, defining key 1990s darkwave releases such as A Day in the Stark Corner and the double album The Burning Circle and Then Dust.05 Reviews
