Nenasty
When The Shadows Leave
4.9
Female-fronted, heavily-processed gothic music sung in Russian. Wow! Where to begin… As far as I can tell from the limited information available, Nenasty is a guy/girl duo out of Mother Russia, with Ms. Nasty handling all vocal duties, and Senmuth providing the music. As I don’t speak Russian, nor read it, I haven’t a clue what this album may be about, but the tone of the songs is non-threatening.
She sings in a low vocal pitch, with very little range on display here. Meanwhile, the music combines hefty portions of piano, synthesizer, and a sparing amount of guitar. To classify it, think of a doom/electronica blend. While there are ambient passages, they never really speed up the pace, preferring to get trippy rather than angry. On rare occasions that can work, as is the case on the title track. Most of the time, that combination of styles results in music that is pleasant yet lifeless. I will give credit to the producer, who delivered a finished package that is crisp and well-balanced. The low-end rumbles, and the high-end sparkles, with no muddiness or crackling anywhere.
When the Shadows Leave is not an album that I will listen to again, as too many of the songs meander about aimlessly. However, listeners of dark and ambient music may find a nugget of promise, if they can even find the album for sale. Perhaps our Euro and Asian friends would have better luck.
