Purple Fog Side - Reality Awaits

Purple Fog Side are a Darkwave act with heavy Gothic and New Wave influences, and 'Reality Awaits' is their latest album.

Having been around in one form or another since their formation in 1996, Purple Fog Side's latest release shows a maturity in it's writing and an ear for melody that is quite refreshing.

They blend a fairly inoffensive, Cure-esque guitar based sound with some synthpop electro stylings which creates a slightly nostalgic sound, but the production is bright enough to avoid sounding too dated which is key for a genre (Darkwave) dogged by backward looking production.

The key to the album, and I suspect the band in general, is the vocal abilities of both Pavel Zolin and Veronica Yakovleva, who are both very talented vocalists, and capable of lifting the tracks.

Having both a male and female vocalist, allows them to change the feel of a track easily, and manages to keep everything flowing nicely.

The heavy reverb, the mid paced tracks, and the almost ethereal vocals mean that this release should appeal to those who enjoy the dark side of the New Wave genre, and perhaps even to the fans of artists like The Birthday Massacre or Leaves Eyes, albeit in a much less aggressive way than those artists.

I have really enjoyed the album, and although 'Reality Awaits' is not tearing up any rulebooks, it is a well crafted and well executed example of a pop album that can stand on the strength of the writing and musicianship.

Its only real weakness is the lack of faster paced, or more immediate tracks...which means it may struggle to grasp the attention of some listeners.

However, I am sure that fans of New Wave, Synthpop and Dark Wave will find a little gem here. Apr 10 2013