Review: Black Doldrums ‘In Limerence’

Once you enter the musical realm of London’s Black Doldrums, you find yourself ensnared in a gigantic sonic tsunami, bursting with dark and vibrant psychedelic sound waves from which the word ‘escape’ can only echo in your mind. The journey into their soundscape urges you to slow down and absorb the nuances of the heavy, immersive atmosphere that they create.

It all began in the mid-2000s when Sophie Landers (drums/vocals) and Kevin Gibbard (guitar/vocals) founded Black Doldrums as a duo. Their early records, particularly the EPs released on Allport Bros and Duncan Jones’ legendary shoegaze label Club AC30, were an enticing blend of psych noise-rock, reminiscent of a fusion between the raw energy of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the cosmic vibes of Spacemen 3. As they delve into the realms of psychedelic and post-punk, they manage to keep their sound fresh and engaging, ensnaring listeners in their tumultuous sonic landscapes.

With the release of their first full-length album Dead Awake, Black Doldrums transformed into a trio, shedding their earlier noise-rock leanings in favour of a more mellifluous, lysergic sonic palette akin to the moody, atmospheric stylings of bands like Joy Division. Yet, there remains a captivating sense of abandonment that permeates their music, enveloping the listener in a sensorial state of mind that is both beautiful and unsettling.

The turbulence and senseless stillness that emanates from their songs seem to burrow deep within, as if the band is acutely aware of the inner turmoil and emotions stirring within the listener’s psyche. It is a mesmerising, immersive experience that refuses to let go, trapping you in a captivating vortex of sound from which there is no desire to escape.

Two years after their previous release, the band returned with their new album In Limerence, an intoxicating exploration of love, loss, and relationship. As the title suggests, the central theme of this record is the intense, all-consuming experience of romantic infatuation. The music immerses the listener in a deep, atmospheric mood, blending elements of post-punk and dark psychedelic noise to evoke an overwhelming sense of emotional rapture and despair.

a mesmerising and disorienting sonic world that leaves a lasting, indelible impression on all who dare to enter it…

The album opens with Hideaway, a track that seems to run on a barbed wire already laid by The Brian Jonestown Massacre – its swirling, disorienting textures and distorted guitars create a palpable sense of unease and abandon. This unsettling sonic landscape perfectly mirrors the album’s exploration of the more turbulent, harrowing aspects of love. The loneliness and sweetness of Dying For You, with its eerie, vibrating tones, sinks the listener into a profoundly melancholic state, while the bittersweet Summer Breeze channels the jittery, existential anguish of Joy Division, its sweet and sour melodies capturing the tumultuous moments of human existence.

Indeed, each song on In Limerence feels like a painful memory from the listener’s own past, as if the music is tapping directly into their most intimate emotional experiences. Tracks like New Moon, In Silence, and the closing Modern Times are particularly gut-wrenching, their haunting atmospherics and lyrical laments threatening to utterly destroy the listener and their cherished recollections.

Throughout the album a palpable sense of desertion permeates the music, enveloping the senses and immersing the listener in a state of mind that is both beautiful and unsettling. The juxtaposition of turbulent, swirling soundscapes and moments of eerie stillness evoke a deep emotional response as if the music is channelling the very essence of the human experience.

Black Doldrums‘ mastery of their craft is on full display, as they effortlessly craft a mesmerising and disorienting sonic world that leaves a lasting, indelible impression on all who dare to enter it. As the London based band continues to push boundaries and defy conventions, the future holds endless possibilities for their evolution.

Label: Fuzz Club Records
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Twitter | Instagram

Scribed by: Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Caccamo