Released
1996

Label
Projekt

Reviewed by
Michael C. Lund

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Last Edit/Update
18 September, 1999

Black Tape For A Blue Girl

REMNANTS OF A
DEEPER PURITY (SINGLE)

Track Listing

1. Remnants Of A Deeper Purity
2. Across A Thousand Blades ('96)
3. En La Mar Ay Una Torre
4. I Have No More Answers
(Radio Edit)

         The flagship of Projekt Records -- Black Tape For A Blue Girl -- has a series of beautifully atmospheric albums behind them. The EP-single Remnants Of A Deeper Purity, released in conjunction with their previous album of the same name, is a perfect example of the melodically searching music that this ensemble stands for.
          The title track, which opens the CD, features the perturbed vocals of Oscar Herrera, reaching in his presentation of Sam Rosenthal's poetic lyrics for an elusive girl. Lucian Casselman's serene voice may be a representation of the girl of Herrera's dreams, as her backing vocals swirl around his words like a gentle breeze forever out of reach. The piece is carried by a subdued keyboard theme, and a gorgeous arrangement of strings.
          "Across A Thousand Blades" is originally from an earlier release, and it is an angrier and darker song. Musically quieter segments alternate with moments of explosive percussions and soaring keyboard thematics. The lyrics on this song are more convoluted and heavier in their imagery, clearly representing a developmental stage leading to the more lucid and balanced rhetoric of Remnants Of A Deeper Purity.
          A short traditional folk song, sung a capella by Oscar Herrera leads into the last track on the single -- "I Have No More Answers." Further displaying the versatility of the band, this closing piece is performed with melancholy seductiveness by Lucian Casselman solo. Again, the accompaniment is of violin and cello, lending the song a rare air of timelessness and mystery.