Liv Kristine Enter My Religion on (Road Runner Records) By Michelle Dee

Since receiving this disc from www.manillapr.com it has lain on my desk at home on top of the ever growing pile of demos and promos. I have played it on a number of times in order to absorb what she and her music are about. I came up with synth led moody pop intermittently good. The first track Over the Moon was catchy enough for a second and third listen immediately. Although a documented goth metal past and image this outing seems to have left a lot of the heavier stuff way behind.

I started thinking of the wave of female indie pop from the nineties led by Elastica, Echobelly and Dubstar. To begin with the first few numbers seem uncomplicated, possibly unobtrusive and unchallenging. Further on in the album there appears to be some Eastern influences creeping in with key sounds or maybe sitars comprised with an opera-style vocal on track 4 Revelation. This theatre and drama feel, may stem from her days with goth metallists Theatre of Tragedy or more recently last year, when Liv found success working with cult death metal band Cradle Of Filth on the 2005 Grammy nominated Nymphetamine.

Listening further I waited for the power and pathos the rock and raw of broken hearts no longer beating, rendered from the body but it never really tugged heartstrings let alone tore asunder.

The piano led songs were kind of Tori Amos without the bitter sweet passion; a bit fluffy, pleasant pianos breathy vocal but not blood and guts enough to really take off. There's a couple of surprises towards the end; a fairly faithful cover of Bruce Springsteen's Streets Of Philadelphia and bizarrely a handbag house moment for You Take Me Higher. The breaks aren't adventurous enough, it doesn't do what it says on the tin, but it does seem to have an accordion mixed into the sounds, so worth a listen for that if not for the attempt at euphoria.

Enter My Religion was released via Roadrunner Records Nov 27th and shows Ms Kristine in a softer light. Find out more on www.livkristine.com

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