head-less - Imperfect: [mensch]

Since I had not payed any attention towards head-less since they released their 'Ship of Agony' EP back in 2005 I was sure I had missed a number of releases when I set my mind to 'Imperfect: [mensch]'. The good thing is that I haven't missed out on so much since then, they've only released the album 'Rouge Et Noir', first released by themselves and then in a double CD version in the arms of Icare Media Distrubution. Now, as a part of the huge Danse Macabre group, I was curious if they reached new heights.

Their debut album '[transponder]' did not impress me as much as Ship of Agony' did, as the EP was superior. While the overall quality is better and the low points are higher on 'Imperfect: [mensch]', it somehow feels like the parts I like are spread to thin. It is like feeding a duck some bread, for each piece of yummy bread crumb, there's a whole scoop of murky pond water that goes down with it.

I start to worry already in the beginning of it all with the intro "Contrapunkt" that is way too inspired by VNV Nation's intro "Foreward" from the 'Futureperfect' album. Despite the fact that they have left out the French translation, it's still way too close and it makes me a feel a bit at unease.

All through the album I find myself liking a melody there, some vocals here and a base there. Put together, they would have summed up to one hell of an EP, but as a full length album (despite the fact that it is "only" 10 tracks) it simply does not manage to get over the bar. When the music is working, the vocals come out flat and the other way around. It is like each part is pulling in different directions and whatever is holding it together in the middle risk dismemberment. The pop rock approach on the 8th track "You" will stand as itself as a good example.

Luckily, there's high points on this album as well. "Burning", "Forgiving" and "The Deep Insight" are a seriously good tracks, the piano melody in "Als Ich Fortging" is beautiful and the flow in "We Stand in Hope" have the potential of a dance floor hit. It's not headless, it's not tallentless, but it is not flawless either (see how I made that all cheesy?). However, if people would ask me what I think about 'Imperfect: [mensch]' when it all comes down to it, I would say it was "alright". Jul 24 2011