Purson - The Circle And The Blue Door

Often when bands split up and regroup, it’s to rework and try out a newer sound. In Rosalie Cunningham’s case, Purson was intended to create a pinnacle of what she wanted to establish with former melodramatic rock outfit Ipso Facto. Instead, ‘The Circle And The Blue Door’ sounds more like she’s simply switched members and stuck to much the same - the biggest change being the swapping of black lace get ups for hippie flares.

Take lead single ‘Leaning On A Bear’ for example. All whirling guitars, gritty organs and an altogether sunken-circus rhythm, it’s not a far cry from Ipso Facto’s gothic-tinged psychedelia. If not a little more manic. Then there’s ‘The Contract’ and ‘Sailor’s Wife’s Lament’: although the organ takes a back seat this time around, the spindly riffs and hypnotic rhythm section trundle steadily alongside Cunningham’s sultry vocals in much the same way.

But Purson have developed their sound somewhat. In comparison to the ‘Rocking Horse’ EP released last year, ‘The Circle And The Blue Door’ has a slicker production and gives a cleaner cut to its tracks. ‘Spiderwood Farm’ has been extended and made even more haunting with harsh percussion and deeper-cut guitar lines, while ‘Rocking Horse’ sounds sharper and more focused. And there are some impressive new tracks, too. Opener ‘Wake Up Sleepy Head’ floats along in a befittingly dreamlike haze, enticed by Rosalie’s evocative notes, before heavier takes like ‘Mavericks And Mystics’ and ‘Sapphire Ward’ sweep in and bring it up a notch with ripping solos and distortion aplenty.

No doubt immersing in old-school gothic horror films and a love of ‘60s and ‘70s psychedelic rock, the lurking organ can get a little repetitive at times. And it’d be nice to hear Purson change the formula up a bit. Yet, dominated by Rosalie Cunningham’s song craft and bewitching nature as a frontwoman, with a few listens, it’s difficult not to fall for their undeniably sinister charm.