I would rather despise a record than be bored by it, which doesn’t bode well for The Black Heart Procession’s Six. It’s a very boring collection of very boring songs, and I wish the title were also the limit. But much like the goth-lite crowd for whom it seems to be written, this record wants to drone on with almost sadistic glee. It’s a pity, too, because some of the band’s earlier work is pretty tolerable.
Granted, fans of early ’80s goth music might enjoy this. Six does not skimp on the depressing and morose currents so favored by guy-liner pioneers Bauhaus and The Cure. The difference is that Peter Murphy and Robert Smith, love ‘em or hate ‘em, had a discernible spark, something that people still recognize today. BHP unfortunately didn’t inherit this. Their songs feel more like imitations rather than the real thing, and singer Pall Jenkins’ attempts at sounding all dark and stuff just comes across as silly.
As a former goth kid, it pains me to knock the goth rock of the next generation. But Six isn’t even freaky. It’s sort of nothing at all.
The Black Heart Procession will perform at the 40 Watt Club on Oct. 27 with The Mumlers.
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