I'm writing this review knowing already that the Australians' first album of 'Black Dime Cabaret' will be their last because a fairly short post on their facebook, without too much explanation, written by 'Brandom Young', the group's instigator, explains to us that they separate after a year of existence (especially since their album was withdrawn from Spotify but I had the pleasure of listening to it before it was withdrawn and I put the You Tube link on the whole album). But let's not sulk our pleasure because the opus released at the end of June 2020, which was originally to be the first part of a triptych is very original and makes us discover a very particular and very endearing universe made of influences drawn from the world of the circus, the musette ball or even the cabaret, all this in a progressive style. It is a concept album that tells the story of the plague in France at the end of the 19th century.
In a classic atmosphere, the instrumental 'A Plague In France' sets an epic backdrop introducing 'The Clown and the Election' in a melodic progressive that alternates calm passages and more muscular parts in which we discover the delicate singing of 'Dayle Barnett' and the use of brass tones which accentuates the circus atmosphere, then, the eponymous title of the group takes us into a cabaret atmosphere with a bouncy rhythm and 'Autumn', which follows, is a beautiful semi-acoustic ballad, very endearing, with a remarkable contrast between the sounds of fanfare and the acoustic guitar. Follows 'Festival of Witches', its introduction of circus music gives way to a sung part with multiple changes of tempo and a wonderful dynamic close to tango, then, 'Ode to Lady Midnight' enchants us with its alternations between melancholic and cheerful passages, the finale being filled with great emotion. The second part of the album continues in this intoxicating atmosphere with 'The Great Manipulator' mixing a cabaret atmosphere with progressive rock, 'Death Waltz' in an original waltz tempo and a melody which, for me, does not necessarily reflect the title, then, 'Nefarious Schemes', very contrasted title, its strength being to mix feelings that would qualify as joyful melancholy, 'The Lynch Mob' which is undoubtedly the most energetic composition with guitar riffs and always this energy communicative, the album ending, first of all, with the short lullaby 'Sleep, Dear' then, 'Incantations' which can recall certain sounds of 'Renaissance' and which one last time takes us on an imaginative and very original title
In summary, this album from the Australians of 'Black Dime Cabaret' is filled with a real poetry that could be summed up in the atmosphere of clowns, at the same time joyful but often hiding a suffering filled with melancholy which makes these very endearing and original compositions which make 'Nefarious Schemes to Murder Lady Midnight' an opus that goes off the beaten track of traditional progressive rock... | |
