Romanticism: revaluation, especially against rationalism and classicism, of sentiment and fantasy, spontaneity and subjectivity. There are many ways to express musically one’s romantic attitude and the need to describe feelings against rational thinking. There are the languid guitars of alt-country and the fragile melodies of folk music, there is the easy caramelous melodies of mainstream pop. There is also the attitude, taken from the gothic and post punk aesthetics from the eighties, focused on going deep into obscure emotions to take energy from them. Synth pop and Electronic Body Music (EBM) are the keys to understanding chosen by Charles Rowell (with his project Crush of Souls) in his last release to express love for Paris, its beauty and decadence.
Crush Of Souls is Rowell’s project born from his passion for gothic sounds to express the uncertainty and vulnerability of the present times. As a part of many bands (Crocodiles, Flowers of Evil, etc) he has made fresh and intelligent music, while with Crush of Souls he reaches his lyrical peaks and writes the romantic songs he has always loved; for the musician from San Diego (California) a song has to be made of depth and freshness as well. A relentless spirit, to find new inspiration Rowell decided to move from US to France and to settle in Paris where Lezire was conceived.
Recorded at Catacomb Souls studios as the previous (A)Void Love and out for Avant! Records, Lezire (a mixture of the French words “lizard” and “desire”) is a collection of electronic romantic songs asking to be listened with heart and soul. The first “World Tears” presents the basic elements of industrial (metallic beats, noises) and takes them to a forest of gothic sounds made by saxophone and lunar synths: like Clock DVA playing with Depeche Mode. The following “Cult of two” is an example of how Crush of Souls is attributable to the contemporary darkwave scene: dancy patterns, circular melodies, deep bass lines as in Cold Cave songs. Great for dancing in a smoky alternative club. Guitars take over in “Souls Apart”, a ballad located in the middle of gothic folk; Rowell’s voice reaches a peak of melodic softness giving relief to the listener. With “No Soul” we enter into the dark world of a rigorous EBM, towed by an irresistible bass line and an annihilating beat supporting one of the most tense moments of the album. In general, the ghost of Sister of Mercy hovers on musical territories made of a synthetic matter and this is a very good sign.
In Lezire you will not find the reassurance of the dominating pop music. Lezire is tension, snappy movement, electronic poetry for those who don’t find peace in a narcotized world.
