THE SERPENT'S EGG

"The Serpent's Egg" shows DCD in a continually improving light, the dark and sinister core now tempered by rich and ancient sounding melodies, heartfelt vocals, and strings that sympathize with all of the above.

Brendan Perry in particular has found a new voice, and songs like "Severance", and "Kingdom of the Blind" (HG Wells reference?) betray his warm underbelly. Lisa Gerrard remains prominent of course, although she shares the ample spotlight with mesmerizing harpsichord in "The Writing on My Father's Hand". Unfortunately the album dips in quality with a few too many under developed pieces in the latter half. Even "Mother Tongue", arguably unlike anything they had done up to that point, would only fully satisfy the most naive of world music fans. Luckily the album closes on a high note with another unique statement in "Ulysses", as close as the group had come to a folk "ballad" up to that point.

It is with this disk that DCD emerges from its embryonic shell and gives us a glimpse into its grown up future. 3.5 stars.