MY ELIXIR, MY POISON

While I was having a look at Prog Archive's list of post-rock/experimental bands, I was distracted by the brilliant name of this band. The name of the band made me want to see what they are really about so I checked their biography. Their excellent written biography can be considered a review of the album "My elixir, My poison", with a few historical information about the band, since it's their only album. Reading their biography only made my interest grow.

Thankfully the band was left with enough creativity to also create good music. At time, they are more post-rock, with compositions mostly seen in this genre and guitars creating a beautiful heavy and suffocating atmosphere while the programmed drums are more close to post-punk. Especially the drums remind you a lot of Joy Division. They are mostly "ok" but at times they can get really annoying. The music alone isn't anything so special though I can't say it's bad. The compositions are pretty simple but very well performed by keyboards and guitars. However, what makes this album magical is the voice of Emily Gray. She doesn't really sing. She reminds me of vocalist Mark E. Smith from the British band "The fall". Both of them have this eccentric style of "saying" the lyrics. It's like a monologue. Emily Gray is what makes this album so unique. A depressing but at the same time ambitious voice, full of emotion, that will captivate you from the disturbing opening track.

Overall, a pretty good album that is worth checking out mainly because of the vocals. Would give it four stars, because I really enjoy it, but is far from essential.

Another excellent collection of deft post-rock playing overlaid with the sensual poetry of Emily Gray. This one is a little easier to find than the debut album Indian Ink, and I think is the better of the two, though at points it really is too close to call. The band split up a while after releasing this one after a series of issues (including a disastrous appearance on local television which ended in acrimony all round, when the band got so frustrated by the technical issues affecting their set they simply stormed off in disgust). But for a brief period of time, Oxford hosted a unique post-rock group who had the potential to rival Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Sigur Ros for the crown, had they just stuck it out.