New Music: Vivienne Cure – Monster

Lebanon Hanover and Dead Can Dance cast a light and pop-facing shadow over the imperious presence and power of Monster by Vivienne Cure.

That can mainly be heard in the vocals, as Cure evokes both gothic grandeur and faded memories, thanks to a voice that is as smooth and rich as the plushest velvet, suddenly shifting into dark shades of nocturnal danger.

As a result, you can easily visualise the lyrics of Monster, which is the ultimate track on Cure’s new Violet Ashes album, though here, the demons and dangers are not external. It is best interpreted as being about confronting the enemy within, giving your fear a name, and, by doing so, taking away much of its power. You could define Monster as gothic or dark wave; however, that is rather confining for a piece of music and self-reflection that encompasses much wider themes and sounds.

Violet Ashes is streaming on SoundCloud and Spotify. For other listening options, follow Vivienne Cure on Facebook or Instagram, where you can also find out more about her film and visual work.