black tape for a blue girl: remnants of a deeper purity (2LP Burgundy & Black Swirl / 2CD)

review of deluxe 2-cd edition A review from Gothic Paradise It is truly a pleasure to be able to have this special 10-year anniversary release and to be able to review it here. Right up front I’ll say that there is no way I can adequately express how great this album really is. I was introduced to it originally shortly after it’s release by hearing the title track and immediately picked it up and have never had a moment of doubt or disappointment since then. It easily fits in to my all-time top 10 list of favorite albums. So now, it’s a special treat to have this special edition version which not only includes the original CD but a bonus disc with 9 bonus tracks. Starting with the first and original disc from this album we’re treated with “Redefine Pure Faith”, with its slow, pulsing sound that just oozes with emotion and sincerity that you can literally feeel through the music. Oscar Herrera lends his stunning tenor vocals to this track with pure perfection, delivering Sam’s lyrics as only he can do with the occasional, beautiful siren vocals of Lucian Casselman harmonizing in the background. Every bit of this song is a masterpiece from the slow introduction, the electronics, cello and even to the final outro piano piece. This brings us to “Fin de Siecle” on which Lucian takes the lead on vocals and Oscar provides backup while the musical arrangement brings the ambient and orchestral elements out as the dominating sound through spatialized echos, all creating an absolutely mesmerizing and dreamy atmosphere. At this point we’re brought back to the original mood and style on “With My Sorrows” which quickly became a favorite track. This piece once again brings out so many facets of what great ethereal music is all about and also breaks down some of the stereotypes as well, such as a great male tenor vocalist can bring out just as much of the ethereal mood as a haunting muse might be able to. The addition of spanish lyrics at the end of the track is a really nice touch as well, which fits in perfectly with the underlying mood. But overall, the lyrical and vocal content layered over the electronics, cello and violin is just stunning on this piece. This is a great time to introduce the wonderful violinist Vicki Richards and cellist Mera Roberts, both of which have excellent talents that come out so well on this and many other pieces on this album. “For you will burn your wings upon the sun” is an enigmatic track in itself, containing percussion which is a rare addition for this album and when I first heard this piece I was in awe of how captivating a track that is literally over 26 minutes long can be. It’s broken down into five basic parts, the first being what you could easily extract for a “radio edit” or what we’ve heard at their live performances containing the lyrics and vocals, which in themselves are awe-inspiring with the raw emotion and sense of betrayal they contain. After this first part draws to a close the second part takes over which is all instrumental and begins with its deep, droning cello and electronics with the violin bringing out much of the melody. This slowly fades after a few minutes and we’re brought to the third part which introduces a slightly different style that doesn’t flow the same way but introduces some soft guitar strumming. The fourth part reverts back closely resembling the previous flowing style of orchestral and electronic arrangements which eventually fade into the fifth and final arrangement that provides a sense of finality as it wraps up the last minute or so of this piece. The ambient soundscapes really come out in “Wings tattered, fallen” with an overall portrayal much like “Fin de Siecle” with a feeling of floating through the ether while Lucian’s vocals hold you enraptured. The music, lyrics and vocals blend so well on this song to give an overall feeling of sadness and longing that could make anyone nostalgic. “Fitfull” is another instrumental piece which relies heavily on ambient textures that build and flow, adding layer upon layer including vocal samples that brings out imagery of a chorus of angels singing. This brings us to the title track and my first true introduction to this group and this album. “Remnants of a deeper purity” is the perfect title for this piece and the album as portrayed through the lyrics and awesome musical arrangements. This song is unique in its entire composition, featuring some steady guitar strumming, tambourine and harmonized male vocals while angelic female vocals hang in the air like a waving shear tapestry in the cool breeze. “Again, to drift (for Veronika)” is another instrumental piece featuring a beautiful piano arrangement accented by beautiful, soaring synthesized strings. I can never get enough of this piece, the title explains it so well, drifting along to the mesmerizing music is exactly what the listener does when listening to this song. This provides an excellent segue into the finale on this album, “I have no more answers”. Again, the listener is enveloped in the thick emotional moods of pain, longing, sadness… unanswered questions. These are portrayed not only through the lyrics, but once again, the music and vocals come together as one and provide the substance of this piece, finalizing the disc and leaving the listener just begging for more. This feeling of wanting more is exactly what I was thinking after I heard this album, so then I picked up everything ever recorded as Black Tape for a Blue Girl, and now we have this second bonus disc to enjoy as well. While it doesn’t really bring out anything really “new” per se, it has some great material on it. “en la mar ay una torre” is an extract from “with my sorrows” of Oscar singing the spanish part accapella, and done so well as only he can do. “with my sorrows (part 2)” again features Oscar doing a short excerpt from the original track and then drifting off into various instrumental excerpts. “with my sorrows (part 3)” is not quite 100% instrumental with some vocal arrangements without lyrics are presented, again featuring these excerpts and “remixes” from the original pieces. Also present is the “radio edit” of “I have no more answers”, which is a nice, shorter excerpt from the original. At this point we reach the three live tracks which are all presented well. If the reader has ever been to a live show from this group, it’s amazing how well this finely orchestrated music can be performed live with a handful of instruments and just a few pre-recorded electronic tracks. “redefine pure faith”, “through sky blue rooms” and “remnants of a deeper purity” are all presented in true form and recorded in front of a live audience. “Across a thousand blades” may be the most well-known song from this band because of its appearance on various compilations and its club-friendly structure. The version presented on this disc is the same appearing on the Goth Box compilation with some excellent guitars and drums. The final track is not listed on the tracklist or sleave anywhere and is actually so subtle that unless you really listen for 30 seconds or so, you’ll probably miss it. It’s just a short piece, another extract from the instrumental on the original disc and arranged into something of an epilogue or outro to the disc. And that wraps it up, another beautiful and astounding work from this group to be cherished for many years to come. Rating: 5/5