{"product_id":"ashes-in-the-brittle-air","title":"Ashes in the Brittle Air","description":"Black Tape's third full album takes the band to a new level of grace; while bandleader Rosenthal's work remains generally consistent - ambient soundscapes mingled with low-key rock mood pieces, backing Rosenthal's varying studies of romantic obsession and fragmentation - the various performances here are more involving than ever. Herrera and Kenny-Smith return as the major vocalists, along with Rosenthal himself on 'slight vocals' and electronics; a bevy of other guest performances flesh out the album as a whole, from guitars to clarinet and violin. The opening title track proved to be the best Black Tape song up to that point, starting with a gentle wash of electronics suddenly punctuated by a tribal percussion hit - wonderfully echoed and layered for atmosphere - and Kenny-Smith's delicate take on the lyrics. Herrera himself gets to shine in the very next number, \"Across A Thousand Blades,\" one of the more overtly goth-rock numbers Black Tape has recorded, with a pulsing rhythm, Cure\/Banshees-like guitar and fretless bass adding to Herrera's anguished performance. The rest of the album doesn't quite match up to such an excellent beginning, but as a consistent collection of songs and performances, Ashes is never anything less that tastefully atmospheric, and often more than that, a perfect soundtrack to a late night. ~ Ned Raggett","brand":"MovieMars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48876868043039,"sku":"617026037615","price":28.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0679\/7833\/0399\/files\/3e7f507cd375106a2dd21b3a056cd585.jpg?v=1777630553","url":"https:\/\/www.moviemars.com\/products\/ashes-in-the-brittle-air","provider":"MovieMars","version":"1.0","type":"link"}