Despite his jet-black, wavy mohawk that makes him look like a re-Fried Julian Cope, tattooed love boy Kiki du Parré IS This Years Blonde., and this is his debut album, although he previously played in El Lay punk bands, Baby Jane, Flesh Toys and Amphetamine Blue in the 80s. His songs are very theatrical, with influences ranging from glam-era Bowie (“I’m Doing Well”) to the more elaborately gothic aspects of Bauhaus (du Parré’s voice bears more than a passing resemblance to Peter Murphy’s on several tracks, such as the swirling ballad, “To The Night”) to the pop stylings of a Jim Steinman. There’s also traces of his punk background (opener “I’m Doing Well” borrows its storming guitar riff straight off of The Alley Cat’s “Black-Haired Girl”) and he’s equally adept at crafting both dreamy, romantic ballads (“Echoes”) and Teutonic techno marches a la Rammstein and Front 242 (“Violated”). I also liked the neo-glam of Space Hog and Nancy Boy that is evident on tracks like “Big Star,” a great choice for lead single. Recommended to fans of Lycia, Minneapolis’ Skye Klad, Cleopatra’s Goth Box, collectors of the Projekt and Neurot labels and everyone else interested in exploring the current state of the gothic scene.
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