F.A. Cult
October Tone, 2020
8/10
A French outfit whose love for legends like Depeche Mode, Bauhaus, and Wire is quite apparent here, Hermetic Delight come through on this first album where pop and light textures invade their historically dark ideas as post-punk, New Wave, and dream-pop moments are all in attendance.
“Glassdancers” gets the album off to a hazy start with plenty of pop melodies invading the ‘80s presence and bright synth, and “Rockstarian” continues the dreamy setting with a swift pace of tuneful post-punk where soaring vocals bring us back to the best days of the genre.
An album with absolutely no filler, middle tracks like “Le Parfum de la Nuit” recruit psychedelic influences to the sparkling setting, while the angular approach of “Holy Sister” offers a darker quality amid flowing instrumentation. “A Void”, an album standout, then pushes and pulls with creative tension that sits on the cusp of space-rock and New Wave.
The final two songs are also high points, where “Common Love Square” touches on shoegaze in its surreal approach, and ‘How High Is Your High?” finishes out the listen fully immersed in pretty dream-pop as strong vocal work from Zeynep Kaya guides the ethereal exit.
A decade is a long time to play in band before releasing an album, but in the case of Hermetic Delight it sure was worth the wait, especially if bands like Cocteau Twins or My Bloody Valentine mean anything to you.
Travels well with: Cosse- Nothing Belongs To Anything; VvvV- The Wreck