Customer Reviews

Come Clean

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Curve broke onto the English music scene some years ago with a sound that few had heard anything like before. Due to little airplay in the states, the band's ethereal hard dreampop never really hit the mainstream...thank god. Their crushing cd's from the early 90's had more guitar and a more bandlike quality, but Come Clean continues to show us an even darker side of Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia. This is music you want as you drive through an urban metropolis at the turn of the millenium, the cyberculture and streetlights taking you in and out of sight.

This album is a bit less concerned with all the tracks sounding similar. Some are downright LOUD with sampled guitar and looped drums crushing you with Ms. Halliday's screeches. But then there are tamer tracks that are lurking in the shadows like "Beyond Reach". This track employs a beautiful selection of liquid sounds woven into a tapestry of soft percussion that comes and goes, then leaps into a hard-hop agression that is controlled but...very, very restless.

This is a good adjective to describe the band that has influenced groups like Garbage and Catherine Wheel. There is always a sense that the players are trying to express a deep personal frustration (usuallly about a complicated relationship between lovers) but never quite succeeds at bringing you the darkness or pain....and that's alright. Out of all the music that attempts to guide you through the darkest of places at the millenium's end, Curve nicely cradles you in its controlled, restless sonics of the night.

curve has been around for years before garbage ever riffed off of them, and Come Clean shows them at their absolute best. This was one of the best albums of 1998 and the unfair comaprisons to bands that were influenced by Curve is simply annoying.

The EP release of "Chinese Burn" got me into this band (other than the articles I read that caught my interest). This album's one flaw is that "Robbing Charity" from the EP is not on here. But that hardly hurts the album. The entire album pulsates with driving electronic beats and heavy vocals. Toni Halliday's voice is as haunting as it is beautiful and paired with Dean's songwriting and technical ability makes for some great music. "Chinese Burn" is still my favorite, but others like "Recovery" and "Dog Bone" only confirm that Curve can kick ass with the best of them. They somehow turn noise into music through their seamless manipulation of techno, rock, and Toni's surreal vocals and lyrics. I still have to check out "Cuckoo" and "Doppellganger," but from what I hear on this album, Curve is one of the best bands out there.

I liked Curve before, although I thought that their production tended to get a little "muddy". But I LOVE this! It's not only not muddy, but it's much better than anything they've ever done. I saw them perform it live, too, and it blew away anything they've done up until this point. Loud, melodic, beat-intensive, and complex - beautiful!

"Gift" is the album that hooked me onto Curve, but it was the Lunatic Calm remix of "Chinese Burn" that shined the light on them for me. I was curious about this band that one of my all time favorite electronic artists had remixed a song from, so I searched for the original track and found it here on "Come Clean". I couldn't find it in stores, so while I waited for it to be delivered, I picked up "Gift" and really liked what I heard. Then "Come Clean" came in.

Although my first listen didn't captivate me, through repeated use, this has come to be one of my favorite CDs of all time! A beautiful yet sinister blend of rock, techno, and gothic hues, Curve's 1998 album picks you up and shakes you until the last track ends. Its a wild ride in some places, but in others it sits you down and seduces you with relaxed vocals and sounds. Then it gets right back up and throws you around again.

Each track is beautifully written and mixed. They all sound different from each other while maintaining a sense of identity. Its awsome.

If you wanna get into Curve, I'D suggest starting here. Then pick up "Gift", "Doppelganger" (and Pubic Fruit if you love Doppelganger), and finally "Cuckoo" if you wish to pursue more. Any of their albums are a great buy, but if you get ANY Curve disc, I'd suggest this one for sure. It greatly sums up their power and potential, in my opinion.

Oh God, I can't stand anymore comparisons between Curve and Garbage...Look, Garbage are one of my favourite bands, but their sound has so little to share with Curve's one and not only because Garbage are more commercial or easy listening, actually they are more different than you can think at a first listening. This 1996's album is marking a change in Curve sound, infact is very different from the three earlier albums PUBIC FRUIT DOPPELGANGER and CUCKOO, and probably if you are a Garbage listener, you will find that COME CLEAN is quite similar to Garbage sound.
Now think that when this CD was first published in 1996, the first Garbage album was just issued too. I don't think that they have so influenced each other as someone can think or that Garbage took some inspiration from less commercial Curve. If you already have some Curve album buy this because is very original and different from the others. If you don't have one, buy it because can be right to approach to Curve music, you will find a unimaginable music dimension.

I just recently purchased COME CLEAN. Let me tell you I was blown away. I am a huge Garbage fan and I have to say that I am more in love with COME CLEAN than I am with Garbage's latest album--Bleed Like Me. I see it has being a lot like Garbage's Version 2.0 in a way. I completely fell in love with Curve once I heard this album and now I am purchasing another Curve album. I already own Gift and I have always liked that album. But Come Clean completely blew my mind and got me addicted to Curve.

Wow, I was very surprised to see so many negative reviews for this gem! Without a doubt, this was Curve's most *varied* departure from their regular venue, which was typically a morass of feedback guitars smothering Toni's wonderful lyrics. Instead, the songs are more discrete, more melodic, and each one is a refreshing change from the style of their other album. This is wonderful electronica, some songs embedded with candylike, vibrant synths (Beyond Reach, Alligators Getting Up); others concentrating on sheer noise (Sweetback). I'm glad to see Curve spreading their wings a bit, as their previous album, Cuckoo, threatened their stagnation.

Anyone who has seen the television show NIKITA may have heard of Curve, but I hadn't, not until I bought the soundtrack anyway. That series of opening guitar riffs and the ensuing over-the-top lyrics intrigued me. So on a recent trip to Ottawa, I purchased a copy of their only album that seemed to be available in the Great White North...and was promptly blown away. This CD has everything, and its sound changes radically, catering to a broad range of tastes. Those who like nothing but noise, powerful and loud will simply love Chinese Burn, Sweetback and Forgotten Sanity. Those who prefer the softer, more soothing types of music will dig Recovery, Beyond Reach and Alligators Getting Up. I was amazed when I found out that only two musicians are involved. Dean Garcia makes it sound like a full stage of musicians are performing, while Toni Halliday's simply awesome voice can be altered to suit the mood of the music. The only song I really didn't enjoy was the title track, for which I had high hopes. Dean's beats sound fine, but from the moment Toni turned out that screeching, grating voice (which I really didn't believe could hae been hers) I knew I had found the only audible chink in the proverbial armor. That aside, Come Clean is an excellent buy, and I sincerely hope they can attract a larger following in North America. K.R. Tamminen

I've been a fan of Curve since 1992. It's just not fair that Garbage has gotten so much attention the last few years for combining rock and "techno". Curve has been doing it for almost 10 years. Swirling, turbulent guitars with propulsive drum and bass, and a vocalist who can sing like an angel or scream like a banshee. Tracks one, eleven, and thirteen are the best. By all means, check out their other records, too! Amazon doesn't seem to have "Cuckoo" yet, but it is well worth having.