On their debut album, Death and The Maiden craft a shadowy sound world,
filled with drowsy mechanical drums, melancholic synth arpeggios,
reverb-drenched guitars, and sighing vocal melodies. The combination is both
hypnotic and devastating, as Lucinda explores themes of love, loss, and decay,
wrapped in tactile electro-acoustic languor that sets teeth on edge.
It is fitting that the group recorded the album in the cavernous rooms of
Dunedin’s None Gallery, a spiritual home to many of New
Zealand’s experimental and electronic upstarts.
Despite the sense of loss and darkness on this record, there is a bittersweet
hopefulness at the core. On Dear ____, Lucinda sings of the irreducible distance
between the self and desire, with a lyric penned on her flight back from Berlin.
Yet Danny and Hope counterpoint this sombre subject matter with soaring sonic
beauty, crafting a party record for heartbroken romantics. These striking
juxtapositions are evidence that Death and the Maiden are seeking to create a
feeling, something that lasts. The result of this effort is a stunning record,
one which haunts the listener and demands repeated listens.