Feyleux
Midnight Hearts
Swiss Dark Nights
I almost wondered if North Carolina newcomers Feyleux had painted themselves into something of a corner with the release of its debut two track Exposé single earlier this year. Its A-side, “Lunaria Swirls”, was lightning in a bottle, a perfect flashback to the days when synth-driven darkwave ruled goth clubs in decades past, with just a hint of dreampop sway. It functioned as an incredible calling card, but I couldn’t help but think that putting such a strong foot forward might hamstring full LP Midnight Hearts should it not be able to deliver on its promise. I needn’t have worried. While there’s perhaps nothing as immediate as that cut on the rest of the record, Feyleux show a keen ability to shift between a range of goth and darkwave styles while maintaining a hazy twilight charm.
Without knowing much about the members of Feyleux’s backgrounds, it seems a safe bet that this isn’t their first rodeo, given how deftly they handle the balance between guitars and synths that darkwave of this style demands, not to mention the different tempos and points of focus which Midnight Hearts explores. “The Empress” is driven by the tension between the easy jangle of its instrumentation (not too far from trad goths Rhombus, perhaps) and the darker and fretful tone of its vocals. Similarly, the high drama of “Blood Shadows” strikes a nice balance between the flow of its synths and strident guitar, but really kicks into full haunted mansion mode thanks to the frisson of its vocal harmonies. They’re equally comfortable with the ethereal waltz of “Phantoma” and punchier dancefloor fare, some of which recalls the earliest Minuit Machine work, at least in how the low, pulsing synth bass is chained to mid-tempo kicks on “Icy Veins” and underplayed minor key vocals of “Cerulean Heart”.
As for the aforementioned “Lunaria Swirls”, it’s here in a slightly reworked form, losing none of the buoyant rush of its earlier version, simply adding just a hint more kick and bounce to its rhythmic programming and a cleaner mix which gives the vocals, guitar, and synths much more room to breathe and bloom. A firm but beautiful declaration of severance, it’s quite simply one of the best goth tunes we’ll enjoy this year. Thankfully, it isn’t standing on its own in Midnight Hearts, but is surrounded by a clutch of elegant and well-considered tunes which have immediately established Feyleux as a force to be reckoned with moving forward. Recommended.
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