Scheer
Infliction

THE REVIEW

Here is an album that went largely unnoticed. Buried, to my great dismay... An Irish band now defunct after only two works, "Infliction" is their debut, dating back to 1996 and distributed by 4AD, a historic label for cult groups including Dead Can Dance and Pixies.

I heard one of their tracks on "Planet Rock" on radio two (does anyone remember?) when mixo was at the microphones, a character seen years ago on videomusic (another defunct). Moment of nostalgia: back then, there were some substantial music programs... I heard one of their tracks and felt the urge to buy it in my gut; there was no way to shake that voice off. And then I really didn't want to, actually...

This is one of those albums that can be loved solely for the voice: female; rather rare for a band that pulls it off without overdoing it, without venturing into the garish, and with the gift of melody. Simple but robust and therefore to be appreciated and enjoyed in moments when you feel like shattering your ears with noise, but without the sweat of following the song's intricate threads. In short, there isn't much originality on a purely stylistic level, what matters is how Audrey Gallagher’s vocal cords perfectly blend with the band's sound. It travels on tracks worn down to boredom, yet always pleasant and gentle even while carrying such heavy cargo.

Of course, a rather "disturbing" cover (a detail of human skin with sutures) could not have helped the band; maybe it’s not always wrong to think completely about potential buyers... we often get influenced by book covers, let alone album covers...

It’s a pity, a real pity, because in these ten songs, which keep the listener constantly on the edge of interest, two of which can be trivially defined as ballads, there is a sense of liberation in the air. Liv Tyler from "Stealing Beauty" always comes to mind. She relieved herself by listening to Hole, trying to heal loads of adolescent anxieties. With this album, I managed to heal some of mine (accompanied by many others), and every time a gentle lady made me fret, this CD found its way back into the player.

And now, as I listen to it again, the pleasure returns, the memory of furious bike rides with a walkman not hearing a damn thing except for my own anger being channeled through music. It’s not always necessary to understand what they sing into your ears. Here, however, "wish you were dead" was very clear. And the physicality with which Audrey sings it feels good and sends those pesky little demons inside us packing (for a while, but it's always enough)...

"...When all I have is you,
Inside my head,
You're in my head,
And it would be much easier if you were dead,
I wish you were dead,
I wish you were..."

Recommended, therefore, to all those who consider music a passion, but also as a remedy, a medicine to finally abuse. See-u-soon