PILGRIMS - Gemini

Chilean-bred PILGRIMS are not just preoccupied with dialing in the right sound to fit the “goth” mold on new album Gemini, instead they plug in a jam to create something that is much more organic than your average darkwave band. This is already more than most bands trying to make a name for themselves in the goth scene are doing, as there is a great deal of outright pop music attempting to pass itself off as goth, but this band is doing things right by keeping the celebration of darkness in focus as they explore a wide range of moods. 

The vocals sit center stage at the front of the mix. Behind the vocals are layers of synths and guitars with the drums driving everything towards the band floor. There are electronic elements in play, but they are far more balanced by what is an equal amount of instruments actually plugged into amps. Half the lyrics are sung in their native tongue, making the vocals at times more of a textural layer.. 

There is a marginally more upbeat vibe to Blissing Hour, it carries a dancey cadance anchored by the bass line. Datura is heavier in both groove and the dark depth of its mood. Storms is also another song which might summon goths to the dance floor and there are some interesting touches applied to how the vocals are produced here. To their credit, unlike many female-fronted post-punk bands, these guys are not trying to be Siouxsie and the Banshees. Amethyst finds a more ethereal slant to the lilt of the vocals, as the bass line keeps them focused on a sensual throb. . 

Glass Cages offers more electronic ambiance, which finds its use of dynamics providing a more of a punchy punk contrast. The vocals are more shouted and this offers a nice dynamic contrast, it even makes me think of pre-Mike Patton Faith No More. Elegia plays it safer and sticks to what you expect from this sort of thing and La Mar might be the song that best encapsulates what the band does what with the groove and melody being locked in. The last track finds her voice rising into her head register, creating a more dreamy, Cocteau Twins-like sound; it's also one of the more dance-oriented moments on the album.

Overall, this record is the kind of dark, grooving fun you should want from this brand of goth-tinged post-punk. Fans of the more revalist brand of post-punk should be able to enjoy it as much as staunch elder goths who are apt to be less impressed, as this is not just nostalgic recycling but urgent songwriting with a great deal of Pilgrims melancholy hearts invested in it.

• Review by Wil Cifer