Bauhaus - Go Away White
Bauhaus Music - BAU001 - 4 March 2008
By Paddy Walsh
Those of the batcave dwelling variety must have gone into spasms of epileptic delight when 80s goth stalwarts Bauhaus announced that they had recorded their first album of entirely new material in 25 years. Having kept up a habit of disbanding and reforming to rabid fan fervour on numerous occasions throughout the 90s, '06 apparently marked their final ever regrouping, with Go Away White acting as the epitaph to a fractured yet illustrious career. It may seem impossible to imagine Bauhaus being in a fit position to recreate the spark that spawned several gloriously dark epics in the '80s, such as 1980's masterpiece In the Flat Field or its equally excellent follow up, Mask, and that has partially come to pass; Go Away White has neither the murky, unhinged sub-Joy Division rumble of ...Flat Field, nor can it match it for pure songwriting genius, but Go Away White is best appreciated as a singular work with its own considerable merits.
The surprisingly funky opener 'Too Much 21st Century' certainly raises an eyebrow upon first listen. Because Bauhaus's last recorded material surfaced in the late 80s, it's a little strange hearing Peter Murphy's vocals with such clarity, and indeed it's questionable whether the '21st Century' in question has birthed a production a little unsuited to a band with the cavernous liked of 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' in their repetoire. Yet a pleasing aspect of Go Away White is that the many facets that always made Bauhaus such a cult favourite are mostly present and correct; Murphy's vocals haven't suffered through the years, now exuding a rich baritone timbre, much like fellow ex-post-punker Nick Cave, and this serves to broaden his range rather than shit on it. Murphy still lets loose in a typically manic fashion at times, too, such as during the excellently visceral 'Adrenaline'. Daniel Ash's guitar playing has lost none of its post-punk raucousness, and on cuts such as 'Endless Summer of the Damned', he invokes a serious groove beneath the noisy, shrill string abuse that is very much his trademark. It's heartening that Bauhaus in 2008 are anything but predictable, as just like their '80s incarnation they refuse to adhere to a singular vision, preferring to run a wide gamut of styles - from stomping dancefloor goth to dub. Murphy wails a mournful, emotive vocal atop minimalist percussion and keyboards on 'Saved', the song eventually introducing drums, bass and ominous chuch bells to the mix. Their unusual habit of dabbling in dub is reprised too, as 'Mirror Remains' emits a brooding hip hop bassline as Murphy does a weirdly captivating reggae vocal. 'Zikir' works as fittingly bizarre finale, the lyrical mantra of 'loves me/loves me not' repeated amidst a string-led soundscape.
Go Away White may not exude that overt creepiness that endeared Bauhaus to a generation of black-clad British youths during the burgeoning goth rock movement, and over the years they've been criminally overlooked compared to, say The Cure, but they have successfully struck a balance between their roots and a more polished, modern sound that in many ways pays homage to their classic works. The best option is probably to view this album as one views Depeche Mode's post-Songs of Faith and Devotion work - unlikely to supply the timeless brilliance of its predecessors, yet no less essential because of this.
Official Bauhaus Website
Official Bauhaus MySpace
Bauhaus Music - BAU001 - 4 March 2008
By Paddy Walsh
Those of the batcave dwelling variety must have gone into spasms of epileptic delight when 80s goth stalwarts Bauhaus announced that they had recorded their first album of entirely new material in 25 years. Having kept up a habit of disbanding and reforming to rabid fan fervour on numerous occasions throughout the 90s, '06 apparently marked their final ever regrouping, with Go Away White acting as the epitaph to a fractured yet illustrious career. It may seem impossible to imagine Bauhaus being in a fit position to recreate the spark that spawned several gloriously dark epics in the '80s, such as 1980's masterpiece In the Flat Field or its equally excellent follow up, Mask, and that has partially come to pass; Go Away White has neither the murky, unhinged sub-Joy Division rumble of ...Flat Field, nor can it match it for pure songwriting genius, but Go Away White is best appreciated as a singular work with its own considerable merits.
The surprisingly funky opener 'Too Much 21st Century' certainly raises an eyebrow upon first listen. Because Bauhaus's last recorded material surfaced in the late 80s, it's a little strange hearing Peter Murphy's vocals with such clarity, and indeed it's questionable whether the '21st Century' in question has birthed a production a little unsuited to a band with the cavernous liked of 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' in their repetoire. Yet a pleasing aspect of Go Away White is that the many facets that always made Bauhaus such a cult favourite are mostly present and correct; Murphy's vocals haven't suffered through the years, now exuding a rich baritone timbre, much like fellow ex-post-punker Nick Cave, and this serves to broaden his range rather than shit on it. Murphy still lets loose in a typically manic fashion at times, too, such as during the excellently visceral 'Adrenaline'. Daniel Ash's guitar playing has lost none of its post-punk raucousness, and on cuts such as 'Endless Summer of the Damned', he invokes a serious groove beneath the noisy, shrill string abuse that is very much his trademark. It's heartening that Bauhaus in 2008 are anything but predictable, as just like their '80s incarnation they refuse to adhere to a singular vision, preferring to run a wide gamut of styles - from stomping dancefloor goth to dub. Murphy wails a mournful, emotive vocal atop minimalist percussion and keyboards on 'Saved', the song eventually introducing drums, bass and ominous chuch bells to the mix. Their unusual habit of dabbling in dub is reprised too, as 'Mirror Remains' emits a brooding hip hop bassline as Murphy does a weirdly captivating reggae vocal. 'Zikir' works as fittingly bizarre finale, the lyrical mantra of 'loves me/loves me not' repeated amidst a string-led soundscape.
Go Away White may not exude that overt creepiness that endeared Bauhaus to a generation of black-clad British youths during the burgeoning goth rock movement, and over the years they've been criminally overlooked compared to, say The Cure, but they have successfully struck a balance between their roots and a more polished, modern sound that in many ways pays homage to their classic works. The best option is probably to view this album as one views Depeche Mode's post-Songs of Faith and Devotion work - unlikely to supply the timeless brilliance of its predecessors, yet no less essential because of this.
Official Bauhaus Website
Official Bauhaus MySpace
