For the duo's anticipated third album,
Scorpio Rising,
Death in Vegas has seemingly adopted the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude, once again drawing from elements of gritty rock, techno repetition, and spacy psychedelia. On first listen,
Scorpio Rising (the name is taken from a
Kenneth Anger film) feels overly monotonous, as nearly every song quickly finds its groove and sticks with it from start to finish with little variety in the process. However, multiple listens reveal that not only is
Scorpio Rising noticeably more upbeat overall than its gothic predecessor, but its diversity comes from the many genres and musical styles that it incorporates. It doesn't hurt either that the album also stars a new cast of guest musicians. Returning to the fold is
Dot Allison (
"Diving Horses"), who is joined by the likes of
Mazzy Star's
Hope Sandoval (
"Killing Smile" and
"Help Yourself") and
Woodbine's
Susan Dillane (
"Girls" and
"23 Lies"), all of whom are delegated to contribute their breathy voices over lush psychedelic soundscapes for an effect that is reminiscent of
My Bloody Valentine.
Fittingly handling the reins of the album's more rocking numbers are
Oasis'
Liam Gallagher and former
Jam frontman
Paul Weller. Both of their efforts tip their hat to 1960s rock, with the title track highlighting
Gallagher as he sings over what sounds like a blend of middle-period
Beatles and
Status Quo's
"Pictures of Matchstick Men," while
Weller's strident take on
Gene Clark's
"So You Say You Lost Your Baby" provides the album with some fun and unpredictability. Also unpredictable is
"Killing Smile," which is among
Death in Vegas' most welcoming and folk-influenced songs. The track also accentuates the unique combination of
Sandoval's vocals and the string arrangements of Indian violinist
Dr. Subramaniam, who also pair up for the grand
"Help Yourself," another of the album's high points. Perhaps the album's best track sounds like something that could have been included on
The Contino Sessions ---
"Hands Around My Throat," which unleashes a hypnotic syncopated keyboard loop and simple bassline along with a menacing vocal from
Adult.'s
Nicola Kuperus, a seething version of
Blondie as she intones, "Try this and you might find/I'm in your place, I see your face." The only tracks that don't improve with time are
"Leather" and
"Natja," both forgettable instrumentals that need more than studio trickery to make them interesting. Aside from these missteps,
Scorpio Rising suffers a bit from its own ambition, lacking the brooding consistency that made
The Contino Sessions feel like a proper album.
Scorpio Rising may not have the coherence of its forerunner, but its individual eclectic achievements still add up to an engaging album. ~ Lee Meyer