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Dark-rocking post-punks raise the bar before disappearing into the ether again

Bauhaus - Go Away White
Posted by Laila Hanson on 04-Jun-08 @ 12:46 PM

[4.5/5]
Since their late-'70s formation, Bauhaus have put their personal spin on genres so disparate, the reverberations are still felt today. With the release of Go Away White, the band have maintained artistic integrity where many of their post-punk colleagues (and followers) became burned-out cinders of their former selves.

Go Away White collects all of the aspects that have made the band so alluring in the past three decades for maximum immersion into darkness. But this disc isn't a nostalgia exercise; it's a reclamation of everything "alternative music" was supposed to mean in the first place. The proceedings sound loose, yet focused (see Peter Murphy and Daniel Ash's "solo goes here" banter on "Mirror Remains") but never disappointing. The rhythm section of David J and Kevin Haskins is taut and supple, making the material swing or slash as necessary. Guitarist Ash has always been underrated as a vibrant player, capable of everything from chattering and scraping feedback and stark minimalism and chunky riffage. While singer Murphy has been saddled with comparisons to David Bowie, his performances add much more texture ("Zikir," "Saved," "Adrenalin") than anything found on Bowie's recent output.

It's been said this disc is the band's epitaph, their mission officially accomplished without being beholden to either a label or a fan base. That's positively tragic, as these songs could have staked out additional vistas of energy and atmosphere in a live setting. But the final decision ultimately belongs to Bauhaus: Because they've arrived at something as iridescent as Go Away White proves they know exactly what they are doing. The world should dirty its knees in reverent genuflection. (SELF-RELEASED) Jason Pettigrew

ROCKS LIKE:
Love And Rockets' Love And Rockets
Bauhaus' Burning From The Inside
David J's V For Vendetta


Official Website: http://www.bauhausmusik.com




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