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| Drab Majesty live in Denver, CO, photo by Josef Bachmeier. |
...Except...it's not the 1980's. It's 2017. But you might have been convinced, right?! That's the beauty of Drab Majesty. They are able to recreate a sound so unique to that moment in music history, it's almost hard to believe their first record, Careless, was released in 2015 and not 1985. But this is precisely what synth-pop, goth, and new wave music lovers like me NEED in the modern era.
My original plan for this post was to review Drab Majesty's newest record, Modern Mirror, but since I saw a good amount of those who had participated in the poll had never heard of them before, I figured I should give an overall introduction on the band first. But hey, why not both?
What you just listened to above was the first song I ever heard from Drab Majesty, ("Dot In The Sky") and what set my soul on fire again, with hope that my favorite type of music could still be created by new artists in the 21st Century. Their entire sophomore album, The Demonstration, blew me away like nothing else I'd heard before from a contemporary artist. It was new, but it felt so familiar, like the dark 80's groups I've held dear for so many years now. There are echos of Depeche Mode, The Chameleons, Clan Of Xymox... and many other darkwave veterans who surely paved the way for a group like this.
But, all of those 80's band comparisons are not to take away from Drab Majesty's pure uniqueness in the entire timeline of alternative music history. They have absolutely established their place in the modern music scene in a way that is completely their own. They are ethereal and alien; their personas shrouded in constant mystery. Though from Los Angeles, creative force behind the project, Deb Demure, sings in an apparent English accent (taking their cues from early Ministry, maybe?). Demure also presents himself in various, usually androgynous outfits, wigs, and makeup, constantly changing and developing the character he presents. He, along with creative partner, Mona D, clearly want to remain an enigma to those who listen to and follow them. And it is well achieved. That look combined with pulsing synths, driving guitars, and surrealistic lyrics given in a serious tone, create a perfect modern darkwave group, that could be from the past, future, outer space... or all of the above.
Their most recent record, Modern Mirror, released in 2019, takes this dynamic to the next level. Building off of the vibe of the Demonstration, but with a considerably more uplifting feel to it. The opening track opposes the dark, brooding, and almost overpowering feeling of previous opening "Dot In The Sky", with a cheerier, dancier beat, bleeding into the just as dancable first single preceding the album, "Ellipsis" (linked below). It's not all cheery synth-pop jams, however, as tracks like "Noise Of The Void" and "Long Division" remind us the beauty of darkness, once again. And somewhere in between those feelings lies my favorite song off the album, and maybe my favorite song they've released, "Oxytocin". It reflects feelings of hopelessness and wanting to die, being replaced by falling in love again- whether it be with someone else, yourself, or life, and realizing things do get better. Yeah...pretty damn deep.
I highly recommend Drab Majesty to anyone who has ever loved dark synth-pop music, young or old. Whether you're an original "New Waver" who was there in the 80's when it all began, or someone like me, who wishes they were there... this is the band you've been waiting for. I have been blessed enough to see them live twice so far, and plan on making it to every show they play for the rest of time. They're not to be missed. Below you can find a link to their official music video for the track "Ellipsis" off of Modern Mirror. But I highly suggest listening through the entire album, as well as all of the Demonstration... and hell, just go ahead and listen to Careless too, and anything else you can get your hands on by them, if you like what you've heard so far.
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