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Neither/Neither World take another big step forward with their most fully produced, rock-band sounding album thus far. While the old stripped down acoustic sound is fading away, their music still enticingly blends innocence and a sinister spirit.
Like precursors such as Angels of Light, Neither/Neither World became soon a reference in the US-independent musical world; shelling both ethereal dreaming pop - where the voice of Wendy Van Dusen reminds as much her compatriots Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) and Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields) - and urban folk-noir which reminds rather environments of scenarist David Lynch as well as the apocalyptic vision of english bands Current 93 and Death In June, to name a few.
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Michael J. Salo says on 9 May 2006
Neither/Neither World is an interesting band that have been hanging around for about a decade now, releasing quality dark folk albums on labels such as World Serpent, Hau Ruck and Dark Vinyl, getting enough respect while not quite emerging as a headliner-level name in the scene.
Personally I always liked Neither/Neither World, and wanted to like them a lot, yet their early releases seemed just short of being what they might be. Although some of it's surely intended effect, as part of their stark, stripped down, understated style, it often felt like they're holding back too much, something's missing from the formula to bring it successfully over the top.
The one that I felt worked very well finally was _She Whispers_ of 2003, a richly evocative, darkly sparkling release of American urban folk noir.
Now moving labels once again over to Shayo, the next album is _Invisible Angel_. As soon as the first chords of the first track "Promise" chime in, it's already clear the band has undergone a further evolution.
Basically, it rocks, in a way Neither/Neither World never would have in the past. Instead of a gloomy tale told with a whisper and an acoustic guitar, you are blasted by a full spectrum of guitar, drums & keyboards. They've never wielded such a powerful sound before.
Thankfully the shift in musical character isn't enough to overwhelm the underlying spirit of the band. Wendy Van Dusen's voice comes through as mysteriously as ever. In fact she seems more comfortable on this album than ever. While her understated, childlike vocals have always been the most distinctive and effective element of Neither/Neither World, there were times she could come across awkwardly in the past. This time she's just right.
It doesn't sound like anything's missing on _Invisible Angel_. You can dive into this album and the only last component that'll still be missing is... the visual, sexual element. Wendy happens to be a very seductive frontwoman, and judging from the one time I had a chance to catch Neither/Neither World live, she isn't shy about playing up this angle at all. While some might object to the approach, it can also be argued the sexual energy makes for an even more powerfully charged experience.
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