Glampire - Drop Dead Gorgeous
(Musesick)
3 1/2 Stars (out of 5 stars)
Reviewed: November 25, 2001
By Tony Bonyata
Take two parts Ziggy Stardust, one part The Cure, fold in '80s styled electronica - a la Depeche Mode, sprinkle with pinch of Jane's Addiction, generously dust with eyeliner and lipstick and what you have is talented multi-intstrumentalist / singer / songwriter / producer Glampire.
The '80s may be well behind us, but that hasn't stopped this self-proclaimed 'glitta-nigga' from mining some of the best musical ingredients from that decade and dolling it up for a night on the town.
Label it what you'd like - goth-hop, glam-pop or alt-rock, but Glampire's latest upbeat offering Drop Dead Gorgeous shows a burgeoning singer / songwriter with latent pop rock tendencies behind all the synthetic beats, mascara and confetti dreads. On songs such as the catchy "New Way of Living," "New Free Radio Waves" and the sensitive "Cold Stare" Glampire has utilized all that he's absorbed and processed it into a fresh musical deja vu.
He may have the knack for penning radio friendly melodies, but he's still got the bravura to sashay down the boardwalk with challenging tracks like "Let Your Love Decide," featuring a searing Robert Fripp-inspired guitar lead, as well as the mystical dirge "Rise" and the hot frenetic drum 'n' bass rhythms on "We As One."
While Glampire, who plays every instrument on the album, proves that he's got more talent in his painted pinky than most of the posers on the scene today, this is unfortunately the only chink in his chain mail blouse. Without the organic spontaneity that feeds from different musicians bouncing off one another, the production here, although rich in melody and sonics, ultimately feels cold and sterile.
Luckily, however, his passionate, longing vocals, along with a perfect grasp of pop-songcraft and ability to reason with his chokehold guitar, makes Drop Dead Gorgeous one hot platter.