- Music
- 20 Feb 20
Solid offering from HP ‘Hot For 2020’ pick
Berlin-based, Dublin-born Candice Gordon has been crafting a haunting and unique take on gothic post-punk since 2012. Now with a debut LP and a good number of punchy singles under her belt, Gordon takes a more mellow direction on her newest EP.
Sacramental Traffic Lights is a spacious and stripped down affair, with Gordon’s vocals rawer and more intimate than on her previous work. The sprawling title track begins the EP with a relaxed guitar riff and delicate cymbal crash. Indeed, it almost feels like the track is in slow motion, with Gordon drawing out every word in a low register.
She hits a sonic climax on ‘The Thinnest Veil’, a song about mortality, on which she shows off her incredible range and vocal control. Chill-inducing in its intricacy and power, the chorus is the loudest section of the whole record. The organ and fuzzy guitars, meanwhile, feel like they’re from another dimension.
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The EP also showcases Gordon’s poetic side, especially with a musical rendition of William Butler Yeats’ ‘The Song Of Wandering Aengus’. Though the record explores different influences, they’re all held together by the brooding tone and Gordon’s superb vocals. Overall, a great showcase of her talent.