Sinister Attraction – Private Wars

This is rather a long EP - more a mini LP. Side one opens with "Control" has a very commercial-sounding introduction before settling into a moody piece of medium-paced dance music with gated drums which give it a slightly uncomfortable feel. The vocalist has a sore-throated voice which appears now and again between the samples and 'found' voices. It has a languid, unhurried feel to it which is quite refreshing. "NTT" has a very bright, Poppy feel to it's intro, before settling down to a much darker sound which gives the impression of being a lot larger, a lot more 'full' than it actually is. This reminds me a little of ATTRITION in one of their darker moods. Again the tempo is fairly relaxed, and they don't seem particularly hurried to get to their destination. The last track on side one is "Dead To The World" reminding me a little of JOHN CARPENTER-type music - dramatic and threatening, suggestive of things impending. The use of samplers is creative and not overstressed, adding a touch of mystery to it - did I really hear that? Another slow-moving dance track.
Side two opens with "Sleep Of Dreams" - a much lighter, Funkier piece of music with a bright-yet-dense sound. Again they resist uptempo stuff, taking a tight-yet-relaxed stance. The vocalist sings some decidedly strange, yet enlightened lyrics, mentioning moving through Möbius Strips in Brownian drifts, or some such thing. "/'neth-in/" finishes on a note which reminds me of a cross between PSYCHEDELIC FURS (vocals) & JOY DIVISION (music) while remaining obviously SINISTER ATTRACTION. This track above all the others suggests a healthy and fruitful future for this three piece. A great track with depth and clarity while still being moody and experimental.

SINISTER ATTRACTION do not play fast dance music - they'd never get into a 3-figure BPM to please the EBM crowd. However, what they do offer - a moody, drifting slow-dance music for people into the darker things in life - is fine, ever excellent. This will appeal to fans of the above comparisons, and will probably please you Goths out there. A group with a bright (and hopefully Dark) future.

Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.