Review Summary: The bunny is back. And this time, it is a bit more blue than violet.
The release of the last, great album Diamonds went hand in hand with the first measures to mitigate the outbreak of the corona virus. In other words, the band could not play an accompanying tour and the album did not get the attention it deserved. In the two following years, the band turned to their loyal fan base and released demo versions of some songs on Patreon and conducted Q&A sessions.
The new album will not meet the same fate as Diamonds, because at the end of February 2022 The Birthday Massacre (hereafter TBM) went back on stage. Is it justified that Fascination should now be given the honor that Diamonds was denied?
From here on, I could copy and paste many parts from the Diamonds review on this site. Unsurprisingly, they stick to their formula of 80s synths, subdued guitars and Chibi's sweet voice. Speaking of 80s synths: On Cold Lights I had to check if Jan Hammer had his fingers in the pie. Another indicator of sound continuity is the fact that they again worked with Dave Ogilvie, who gave the album a punchy and spacious mix with a great attention to detail. As he always did. His subtle influence on the addcitiveness of TBM album should not be underestimated.
As since Superstition at the latest, heavier guitars like on their reference work Needles & Pins are not to be expected. The guitars were once again woven into an overall homogeneous sound picture, without even once gaining dominance over synthesizers. Even in the driving Like Fear, Like Love, TBM don't begrudge fans of the first hours any increase in heaviness. It would be nice if TBM would allow a bit more harshness again to provide a more contrasting listening experience.
Then again, with such consistently good songwriting, there's no real reason to complain. A majority of the songs come across as very carried, providing ample room for catchy choruses, carried by Chibi's voice with the typical pop ingenues like doubled voices and reverb. Speaking of Chibi's voice: If there is one feature that I identify as a (small) novelty on Fascnination is an increased emotionality in Chibi's voice. For this she sometimes goes into high realms, sometimes she uses a subtle sobbing. A nice little ingredient to a well known recipe.
The title track Fascniation may serve as an example for this. It´s a tragic sounding song (and perhaps one of their best) with a long playing time of over 5 minutes by TBM standards. An interesting choice to start the album, but in a way, it is a fitting introduction to a rather subdued album. If you are looking for the snappy side of TBM, Dreams of you and Like Fear, Like Love may serve your needs.
The bottom line is that we are dealing with a TBM album in which little is new and not all songs are as captivating as the best offerings on Fascination. Still, Fascination can set its own scent mark through its thoughtfulness and Chibi's heightened emotionality.
Recommended tracks:
Fascination
Like Fear, Like Love
Once Again
