Demise of Love - Demise of Love

Daniel Avery claims that Demise of Love went into the studio for the first time “armed only with a love for each other’s work,” and it shows. This is quite the opening statement from the trio, completed by Syd Minsky-Sargeant of Working Men’s Club and James Greenwood of Ghost Culture, all singular electronic firebrands. On this evidence, they complement each other wonderfully; there is room for each of them to breathe, with Syd taking the lead on opener ‘Strange Little Consequence’. 

The hallmarks of his past work are there in thematic terms, the lyrics scorchingly political, but sonically his collaborators take him to new places, with waves of cascading synth laying the groundwork for a massive chorus. Elsewhere, there are nods to everything from acid house and Detroit techno to post-punk and even industrial rock; the pulsating ‘Be A Man’ broods with genuine tension, while the comparatively gentle melancholy of ‘Like I Loved You’ showcases another side to the trio entirely. ‘Carry the Blame’, meanwhile, suggests sharp switches between styles will be a hallmark for the group moving forwards, its blissed-out ambience quickly descending into squelchy electronica. Most excitingly of all, there’s the sense that this first four-track salvo is a mere tune-up for Demise of Love - the best is likely yet to come.