Customer Reviews

Doppleganger

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I adore Curve. Last year I rediscovered this excellent band with their latest album "Gift". That album is still in heavy rotation in my cd player. I first discovered Curve with "Cuckoo" back in the early '90s when I was still in high school. After rediscovering this lovely British rock group, I have made it a point to buy their albums before "Cuckoo". My latest Curve cd is "Doppelganger". I was quite taken by how different the sound on "Doppelganger" is to "Gift". The band has more of a shoegazer sound on this album while on "Gift", the band mixes techno, rock and elements of industrial music together. Toni Halliday is definitely one of my favorite rock goddesses of all time. I can hear her influence in Garbage's lead vocalist Shirley Manson. Both women have a sultry voice that melds well with the type of music they put out. The album itself could use a remastering for all intensive purposes but overall the songs themselves are some of the strongest material Curve has ever done. I absolutely adore "Horror Head" and "Wish You Dead" especially. You can definitely hear a Depeche Mode influence on this album thanks in part of Flood as well as in the mixing by Alan Moulder. You can certainly hear the DM comparison in "Wish You Dead" and "Doppelganger". "Doppelganger" definitely confirms to me that Curve ought to be ranked as one of my personal favorite bands, alongside VNV Nation and KMFDM. All three bands have yet to put out an album that I do not like.

Most people don't know of Curve, and that is a shame. Curve had generated some of the most interesting alternative music of the 90's. They came out when Nirvana hit it big, and the grunge scene was hot. Male rock singers were in. Females were not. So here comes Curve. Halliday is one of the "best" female vocalists ever. "Doppelganger" is one of the best albums I have had the luck of discovering. Every song rocks with heavy guitars and bass lines. Halliday's voice is so sensual and alluring, that you would think these sounds wouldn't mesh well. Well.. they do. And to top that off, the beats are not standard 4/4 rock music, they're dance oriented techno/shuffle beats. Garbage (another of my favorite bands) without a doubt, knew of Curve. However, while Garbage is more a pop-polished band, Curve feels more raw/goth and sensual. Stand out songs are "Wish You Dead", "Fait Accompli" and "Doppelganger".

Curve were so ahead of the Curve, one can't but wonder "what happened". Obviously this recording spawned the likes of (and I LIKE) Garbage, but this is a far superior product to most current music (Garbage incl). Toni's voice has that nonchalant druggy air which when mixed with the at times assault of distorted guitar stands in a class of its own. Wish you Dead and Fait Accompli are stand outs, but the entire CD is really a classic.

Whenever I get tired of the who nu-metal movement, or whatever this year's controversial gangsta rap is, I know I can pop in Doppelganger and remember the good times. I found this CD right when it came out in 92 (in the states anyway) when I was in New Orleans trying to forget I was in the Army and stationed in the crappy part of Louisiana. I fell in love with it then and I have never, ever tired of it.

I have since gotten my hands on just about everything Curve has recorded (helped by frequent business trips to London a few years ago) and this remains one of their best. The only knock against it is every song pumps out so much energy you sometimes have to take a break from it mid-album. HorrorHead, as others have mentioned, remains the classic track from this album, although I have always been partial to Fait Accompli and Ice That Melts the Tips myself. I hear Curve is coming out with a new album and tour in 2002 and I cannot wait. In the meantime, buy this album RIGHT NOW. And buy another copy for a friend while you are at it, they will thank you.

The music of Toni Halliday and Dean Garcia a.k.a. seems far more important now then it was when this album was released in 1992.While it was well received at the time it seems that this c.d.'s true worth is conming to fruition now.How such great tunes were overlooked by the masses amazes me as much now as it did then.This album is ten years old and even though it's very much of it's time-it has aged spectacularly well.

Curve seemed to take their influence from the "industrial meets electonica" sounds of groups like Sheffield's pioneers,Cabaret Voltaire and German group Einsturzende Neubaten.They mixed all this with dance rhythms and beats which were beginning to flourish at the time.But unlike the 'happy acid' craze of the times Curves music tended to be more introspective and gloomy.The sound is full of thrashing,distorted guitar sounds,electronica from Depeche Modes blacker days,heavy deep bass guitar and an array of drum machines-all this in ten up-tempo tracks.Added to this are Toni Halliday's at times fragile,then strong,soulful then disaffected vocals.She has a vocal range of emotions that are matched by very few.The title track is a great illustration of the rollercoaster ride the listener goes through when listening to these vocals.From the feint sighs of anguish at the start to the crystal clear catchy riff of the chorus.The sonic boom of distortion going on in the background is astounding.Tracks like "Lillies Dying" have similar vocal effects,maybe even more multi-layered but the guitars and drum machines are far more distinct giving it a more commercial feel.It sort of reminds me of the louder moments off Sinéad O'Connor's Lion And The Cobra.Track 6 has an almost rock feel to it-the bass and guitars really blare out in a savage attack on your aural senses.You can really where Garbage got their sound from in the next track-the early Garbage that is.My 2 favourite tracks have to be "Horror Head" and the amazing "Fait Accompli"-but it's also very hard to hear a weaker track on this c.d.I'm so glad now that Curve are beginning to gain the recognition they deserve.My one question would have to be is why has it taken so long?

I first heard Curve on a college radio station in 1991 (ten little girls).I was completely taken with the voice of tony holiday and entranced by the music.I've been a huge fan ever since. Doppleganger is my favorite Curve album.I highly recomend it.It is very difficult to describe the music , but I think if you listen to bands like the Cocteau Twins , Ride , Or My bloody Valentine this should fit your taste as well.Curve , as are the bands I just mentioned , are truly one of a kind bands , very original , very creative.After this album check out Pubic Fruit.This album features some earlier songs originally released as EP's in 1991&1992.Another favorite.

After spending much of the early 90s releasing EPs, touring, and building a following, Curve released their first album "Doppelganger" in 1992.

The sound of the Curve can be described as a cross between My Bloody Valentine and Garbage. "Doppelganger" is somewhat like My Bloody Valentine in the sense that there is a sea of sounds, with one song drifting into the next. Curves lush feminine vocals and techno beats, however, are more akin to Garbage. Curve's sound possesses the distorted guitars and sonic textures of both.

Curve's creative force stems from singer Toni Halliday and guitarist Dean Garcia. Halliday is similar to Garbage's Shirley Manson, in that she has a beautiful voice that can be quite forceful or sensitive.

While "Doppelganger" doesn't have any songs quite as addicting as "Queer" or "Only Happy when it Rains," the album as a whole is just about as good as anything Garbage has ever released. Much like My Bloody Valentine, rather than just being a collection of singles, the album is best heard in its entirety

"Doppelganger" is easy to fall in love with after just one listen. It's a glorious adrenalin rush, start to finish. The CD never gets monotonous or runs out of steam, as each track is just as enchanting as the next.

"Doppelganger" has aged really well. It's hard to believe that, as of this writing, it was recorded fifteen years ago. It's surprising and unfortunate that more people aren't familiar with this band. Probably due to timing and promotion, it didn't have the huge sales of Garbage's 1995 self-titled debut, or the cult following of My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" (1991). That's a shame, because "Doppelganger" is as every bit as good as either release.

If you're looking for some cool new music to get into, take a look back in time, as "Doppelganger" is a lost classic that deserves to be rediscovered. Fans of My Bloody Valentine and Garbage are advised to check out "Doppelganger" as well.

Unlike anything done before or since.

Imagine, if you will, Pretty Hate Machine, on happy pills, sped up a bit, with a truly massive and very harmonic sonic landscape (i.e. lots of sounds filling up your ears), and the angellic, yet edgy voice of Toni Halliday. Someone else has called it "techno". Not far off. Rock? Could be. Indie? Showgazer? Alternative? Yes. And no. All of these, and more.

I've had this for 13 years, and it's been a favourite the whole time. Just buy it. Buy it now. You will love it.

And if you can, get the single of Fait Accompli. They remixed it for the single and it is, improbably, better than the album version.

I felt that the other reviews here did not fully justify how brilliant this album really is. Doppleganger was the first Curve album i experienced way back in the early 90's, after a recommendation by The Cure's front man, Robert Smith (not personally of course.) This album is melodic and ahead of its time and if you like distinctive lead vocals Halliday will definatley soothe your soul. 'Ice that melts the tips' and "sandpit' are amoungst my favs. The whole album is still magnificant after 8 years of listening to it. A Curve must have album. Oh..and they kick butt on Garbage!!!!!!

"Doppelgänger" is essentially a shoegaze album, but it also mixes a bit of grunge and dream pop that makes it a very unique experience. Fortunately or unfortunately in most of the songs everything is on the same level - the drums, the singer, the guitars - which makes it kind of hard to grasp exactly whats going on. Despite this, however, there still remains a strong sense of melody and rhythm. I don't think it has much mass appeal, though, only for those with an open mind or those who are already fans of shoegaze. Another drawback is that it DOES have a couple filler tracks which hurt the overall experience if you're trying to listen to it straight through (but in the end the pros outweigh the cons). The reason I gave this 5 stars is that it's just such a breath of fresh air compared to everything else on the market (even if it IS highly influenced by the likes of My Bloody Valentine. Also, the amount of highlights certainly helps the rating. It inspired future acts like Garbage, too). It might take several listens to get into, and it's not for everyone, but for shoegaze fans and the curious I would definitely recommend "Doppelgänger" (ESPECIALLY considering it's only $8.00!)!

Highlights include:
"Already Yours"
"Horror Head"
"Wish You Dead"
"Lillies Dying"
"Ice That Melts The Tips"
"Split Into Factions"
"Think & Act"
"Fait Accompli" (pretty decent song)
"Clipped"