Caught in the Carousel

Neither/Neither World

Bleed Me
Zos Kia Sound Recordin

Neither

It's not often you discover a band of this magnitude.

One of The San Francisco Bay Area's most enigmatic and elusive bands has just released an acoustic DarkWave masterpiece. Released on her own now re-launched label, Zos Kia Sound Recordings, with Bleed Me, frontwoman Wendy Van Dusen unleashes one of the most lush and dreamy vocal performances of the year.

The album opens up with "Days Like This," a hypnotic, melancholy song that sets up the tone of this percussion-less album. Grawer's guitar is soothing and beautiful, with piano accompaniment. Meanwhile, the haunting harmonica of Lemon De George adds to the incredible atmosphere of this song, as Van Dusen sings: "Watch the world die/Devil may cry/There will always be days like this.” "Angels Eyes" features acoustic guitar with vocals by Van Dusen and new bassist Chris Nagel. Lush and serene, Grawer's guitar work adds to the harmonic landscape, which is tranquil and liquid.

"Run Away" is a bittersweet ballad; Van Dusen’ 12-string shines as she pours out her heart. Beautiful, sad and reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks, Bleed Me just has a feel to it that is at once romantic and heartfelt. Elsewhere, "Leave You Here" finds Van Dusen singing in a soft whisper, the effect of which is ghostly and haunting

"Hollowed Out World" has to be this reviewer's favorite track on the record. This song is pure poetry. Boasting beautiful harmonies between Van Dusen and Nagel, this makes the case that their songwriting collaboration has yielded some of the most stunning music of the year: "Some say, there's an opening in your heart/Some way I will fill in to this lock/Some day, as we sit upon this hollowed out world.” Along with Grawer and Lemon's accompaniment, this number is evocative of Italian villas, while the outro sounds like a chorus of mandolins

"The Price We Pay" is another showcase for Van Dusen’s songwriting and vocal talents—it’s lush and flowing and full of emotion.

"Just Listen" may just be the album’s breakout track. Poetic and romantic, it’s an acoustic duet between Van Dusen and Nagel, who sing, "Your face makes, all known pain triviality.”

The dark and reflective "I Don't Care If I'm Falling" features some incredible atmospheric landscapes by Grawer; while "You Say" is a stark piece, featuring just Van Dusen on vocals and a grand piano. The lyrics are delivered with a clarity and authenticity that really draws the listener in. This number underscores how Van Dusen can make you feel with her voice. It’s an amazing piece of music.

"Story Of A Girl" is a 10-minute plus long voyage though a more electronic soundscape that really shows the depth and variety of this band. Surreal and echoey and punctuated by Van Dusen’s signature whisper, this track wouldn’t sound out of place in a David Lynch film. With keyboards echoing Vangelis' work on Blade Runner, “Story Of A Girl” has a relaxing, spacey feel.

On the acoustic album closer "The Wake," Van Dusen sings: "This may be the last time the moon, will rise/Let this come as no surprise/Hell is where I'm going/I've got it all with me/I want to feel the demon's breath/Hypnotize me with a sense of life, death."Beautiful and dark, transcendent and majestic, this is one that echoes in the mind long after the music’s stopped.

Further Resources:
Check out Neither/ Neither World's Entire Discography here: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Neither%2FNeither+World
http://cdbaby.com/cd/neitherneitherworld

The Official MySpace Page, featuring 3 whole tracks from Bleed Me and the incredible Darklands among others:
http://www.myspace.com/officialneitherneitherworld

New album available here:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/neitherneitherworld

Links to this reviewer’s favorite songs from She Whispers 2003:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWQNN8aMVGA She Whispers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMVqAspQ_2Q Hell

Two snippets of a rare live performance from 10-23-10 Jawbone Canyon, Mojave Desert - Jawbone Festival 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMVqAspQ_2Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ4OZ3qFYPA

—David Ingram