Customer Reviews

Waking the Mystics

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

 

 

I stumbled upon Sophe Lux by accident. Turning on NY NPR, I thought I heard a new Kate Bush song. It was the experimental, push the boundaries Kate that I love...and then I found out it wasn't her. I heard another song, and that was it. It was a group called Sophe Lux. I ordered the CD from Amazon when I got home. More than three weeks later, I still play it...a lot; over and over. Can't say that about all my cds. Yeah, there's some Kate in there, some Tori Amos, some girl group stuff, and more. Go to their website (google it) for the full song of "Target Market" and video instead of the snippets above. So far I've talked them up to about ten people who I know like the musicians above, and all of them have ordered the cd. I know I'll be looking out for them to return to NY to perform and for their next CD outing.

I discovered Sophe Lux on BOING BOING where Cory Doctorow passionately recommended their album "Waking The Mystics". I follow BOING BOING as I follow Pitchfork Media, NPR, and The Times for cultural, literary, and musical recommendations. Doctorow's review of this this shockingly unsigned Portland, OR band peaked my curiosity. He compared them to Queen and PJ Harvey. A fascinating combination I thought so I went to their web site to listen to some music. I was immediately impressed by the band's amazingly stylish, intelligent, and artistic presentation: Post-Victorian costumes, German Expressionism-style video about a "Mesmer" character and a Victorian hysteric during the industrial revolution. Then I heard the songs and was blown away. I have not heard such fine writing since the days of Beatles, Kate Bush, Bowie, and Roxy Music. The vocals are nothing short of astounding. I have not heard a female vocalist in this century with the range and imaginative delivery of Haynes on this album. A treasure and a treat.

I first head this band when their song "Electra 33" appeared on a Vampire Diaries TV commercial on the CW. The lead singer's vocals sent an acid chill down my spine. I honestly couldn't get the song out of my mind, so I downloaded it off of I Tunes. A couple months later, I heard the band's equally impressive song "Target Market" on the STARZ TV show "Gravity", I was again transfixed. I realized that needed to get my hands on all of this band's recordings. After listening to Waking The Mystics several time through I realized the band is brilliant. The band's music continues to inspire and enlighten. I have not heard music this original, thoughtful and so well crafted in ages. I also highly recommend the band's EP "Hungry Ghost." It will blow your mind. The lead singer had a voice like Kate Bush, Freddy Mercury, and Brian Ferry. This is very sophisticated and powerful stuff. The band's Target Market video comes on the enhanced CD of "Waking The Mystics" an added bonus for sure bot to be missed.

Every reviewer everywhere compares Sophe Lux to Kate Bush. And for good reason! It's as if group leader Gwynneth Haynes is the b*st*rd love child of Kate Bush and Klaus Nomi (an impossibility I know for SO MANY reasons), raised by Lene Lovich at the Howard DeVoto estate.

That description tells you everything you need to know. Either you are now thinking that you must own this CD, or you know you should run away.

This CD does not play it "safe." Nor will it leave you "far from heaven." It definitely is not the "Karen Carpenter Story"! (Gwynneth is the sister of film director Todd Haynes, if you didn't know. Sorry for the punning. I couldn't help myself.)