Tuesday 15 October 2013

Gems - Medusa


The obvious comparison for Washington D.C. duo Gems is with Goldfrapp: the soft, high-pitched, ethereal vocals of singer Lindsay Pitts coupled with dark, sultry electro sounds.  Yet whilst Goldfrapp continue down a more acoustic-folk path, it leaves the playing field wide open for Gems to carve their own identity.

The title track from the duo's forthcoming debut EP, Medusa is as musically striking as the band's monochromatic visuals (just take a look at their Instagram page) - all smoky atmospherics, heavily reverbed beats, washed-out guitars and that ethereal vocal.  It's moody yet sultry; haunting yet sophisticated; richly evocative yet sparsely produced.  For all its air of stony cool, Medusa slinks with an emotional core that's impossible to ignore.

4/5

Listen: Medusa will feature on the duo's debut EP released on November 12th.