Review: Black Dresses- Thank You

The second collaborative album between underground acts Devi McCallion and Ada Rook delivers eleven frantic and abrasive electro-industrial tracks.

THANK YOU is the second album from the collaborative duo featuring underground acts Devi McCallion and Ada Rook. I caught wind of their act following the hype this project generated throughout the Bandcamp scene. Being unfamiliar prior to listening, I went in with a clean slate, unsure of what to expect from either artist. Found here are eleven frantic and abrasive electro-industrial tracks. Elements of electropop and noise are also scattered throughout this heavy and dark journey.

The album opens with the title track “Thank You” which contains this jarring and building synth crescendo with Devi stating “thank you for letting me live/for letting me live /in such a fucked up world.” This ultimately sets the emotional tone for the bleak and desolate outlook the album evokes. “Dog Shit” continues these themes of nihilism as the track leaves the listener with the question, “who told you our souls needed saving?/ who told you we had souls to save?” The instrumental on this track is incredibly catchy and exemplifies some of the best industrial pop moments found on the project.

“Water” is one of the many political statements the duo makes on this album. The emotionless and melancholic vocal performance on the hook is frightening and hypnotic. Devi and Rook are eerily repeating “all the water in the world/all the money in the world,” over and over and over. The entrancing tone, as well as the instrumental, induce a powerful poetic statement. While the powers that be are hoarding the money and profiting from destroying the world's natural resources, society is by at large standing by, obeying orders and letting the whole system continue to work. We should be happy with what we have while, “they kill us all/over and over/ when they never had the right.”

“Death/Bad Girl” is an absolutely amazing track. On the first half of the song, “Death,” the juxtaposition between the intensity of the instrumental and the cheerfulness of the lyrics is sinister. The vocals eventually erupt into this screaming mess and it matches the instrumental perfectly. The second half of the track “Bad Girl” contains a primarily spoken word monologue discussing mental health and how Rook, “just wanted to be something/ beautiful and loving.” She is happy to have met Devi who is, “in the struggle” with her. But at the end of the day she wishes, “we didn't have to define ourselves/ by the struggle.” It is a powerful statement on how society views mental illness and the way our culture tends to categorize and define others.

“Wheel of Fortune” is one of the more straight forward tracks on the album. It contains this incredibly infectious hook which hits hard coming off of the aggressive build-up provided by the pre-chorus. The next track, “Thru The Void,” deals with themes of isolation and disassociation and I feel this was a smart single to use as it gives listeners an accessible taste at what the duo has to offer.

“There’s Nothing Here Worth Dying For” contains this badass riff that is reminiscent of a heavy metal cut versus the noise and electronic nature of the rest of the album. It fits well within the aesthetic of the project and I found this to be one of the more enjoyable tracks on the album.

The track "Look Away" is an explosive mess with an instrumental that puts more emphasis on noise and racket over compelling songwriting. The mix is also noticeably disjointed on this track as well.

With that being said, the mix on a lot of these tracks leaves a lot to be desired. While one could argue the caustic mix is an effective artistic statement, I personally feel it detracts some of the enjoyment from the project.

While this album will not be everyone's cup of tea, there is something to be said about the intense performances and messages this album contains. The violent and brutal production is a punch to the gut, it is just a shame the mix is muddled and disorganized across many tracks. Fortunately, for fans of the genre, I believe there is enough here to warrant repeat listens.

Rating: 7.5/10

Essential Tracks: Dog Shit, Water, Death/Bad Girl, Wheel of Fortune, Thru the Void, Theres Nothing Here Worth Dying For, Baby Steps