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David Cronenberg's Wife

Hypnagogues

Label: Blang

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Paedophilia? Check. Ejaculation? Check. Suicide? Check. So what shall we sing more about now? Relationships and love and stuff like that? Go on then". Following on from 2008's darkly funny debut Bluebeard's Rooms, David Cronenberg's Wife continue their superb form here with their second full-length Hypnagogues.

So, who is David Cronenberg's wife? Well technically, it's Caroline Zeifman but that’s not the point. DCW are headed up by the unique vocal talents of Tom Mayne. In support are Rhian Tucker(keyboards/bass), Mark Watts (lead guitar), Stuart Saunderson (drums), Thomas Alder (violin/guitar) and Ian Button (bass). True to their London origins, this is laced through with a deeply dark and very British sense of humour.

With Hypnagogues, DCW have clearly cranked down the shock value that permeated Bluebeard's Rooms replacing it with a sharper more barbed wit. Indeed, this may have greater appeal. Jokes about paedophilia and premature ejaculation have been sidelined for relationships, stalking and…ahem…Sweden, without losing any of the sharp turn-of-phrase that we have become accustomed to.

Drawing heavily on a range of folk-ish styles, DCW prove here that they are still the musical chameleons that they first suggested they were. Most notable in the rip-off stakes are the Pogues-like 'In The Limo' and the Lou-Reed-like…er… 'Lou Reed Song'. Nevertheless, this isn't the case of listening to a tribute act, unless the tribute act is in a slightly twisted parallel universe. In which case, it is.

As already alluded to, this is defined more by its lyrical content than its musical accomplishment, which is its biggest selling point. Lyrically, DCW are specialists in cutting through to the core of an issue. 'Body To Sleep With' is punctuated with "I want a body to sleep with tonight/just for this night/not for the whole of our lives", whilst 'The Fight Song' turns on its target with "And is your body/ your only virtue/…Yes…/but is it really/ such a crime/ to avoid intelligence".

Lyrically acerbic and musically accomplished David Cronenberg's Wife continue to find life in dark observations that are so easy to identify with. Whether you class them as 'anti-folk' or just 'wrong-folk' there is much to be admired here. If you have never been here before, why are you waiting? If you have, then welcome back. - Matthew Coxon