Droom- Ten Songs

Artist: Droom
CD Title: Ten Songs
Label: Droom Music
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 3/6/05

The title to Droom’s second full-length is blandly descriptive, if nothing else, because there are indeed “Ten Songs” on the album. Fortunately, the music itself is not so bland, being a catchy mix of synth-pop, strummed guitars, and melancholy vocals. Things start off with “Flowers,” which sounds an awful lot like an updated version of the Mission and is very gothic indeed, with a chorus that includes the line “Who will leave flowers on your grave?” Overall, though, the album is less gloomy pomp than sorrowful pop. “As If Alive” is slow, sincere, and romantic, rather like Wolfsheim but accented with gentle guitars, while “Blood Culture” is fast-paced and hard-driving, with hints of industrial in the drum machines and sharply cutting power chords. The closest comparison to Droom’s music, though, is Clan of Xymox. It’s all there, from the dance pop beats and keyboards to the thrumming guitar chords to the mournful vocal delivery. “Everything” and “Surrender” in particular are good enough to make you forget how crap Xymox got after they dropped the “Clan of” bit from their name (but before they brought it back again). Droom’s ten songs do all tend to sound rather alike, but fans of wistful yet danceable dark pop ought to give this chance.

Go to www.droom-music.com for more information.

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