One of the most distinctive qualities of the debut from
mostly-Irish rock-industrial group Skindive is how well each song would
fit in a movie. As it turns out, that's no accident; Gerry Owens, the
mastermind behind the group, freely admits that he's all about a cinematic
style to the point that he listens to films recorded to MiniDisc instead
of to CDs. Listening to his band's eponymous debut, it's easy to imagine
Owens scoring a feature film, perhaps something with the look, feel, and
ideals of The Matrix-and in fact, several songs on the album include
orchestral arrangements. One of these, a ballad titled "Space Age Lullaby"
that builds at the end to a symphonic climax, stands out as a particular
highlight. Equally impressive in terms of textural variety and musical
interest are the title track, and "Love Me Still," which closes the album.
However, the band also knows how to rock out, and several songs, notably
"Tranquilizer," "In for the Kill," and "Contrition," would work very well
for the dance floor. Skindive does have rather a Pink Floyd moment with
"Sweetness," which may not appeal to all tastes, but overall this is a
highly enjoyable debut, musically sophisticated without being
inaccessible. Of particular note are the vocals, courtesy of Danielle
Harrison, whose delivery has a kind of precise delicacy that hints at
considerable power waiting in reserve. Expect to hear a great deal more
from this group; there's a lot of potential here.
-- Originally appeared on Gothic.net, June 2001