Full disclosure: I’ve been an ardent follower of Terror Bird’s synth pop gothics since the debut tape “Sociopaths Are Glam”, and their “Human Culture” album was one of my favourite albums of 2011. Which is why I picked up whatever 7” singer Nikki Nevver released after-wards, and can’t help but notice that the four tracks of her “Waiting For Nothing” EP are all present on “Secret Rituals.” Which means that almost half of this album has been released elsewhere already but hey, the tracks are excellent and the EP, released on Verulamium, is rather hard to come by.
“Secret Rituals” sees Nikki Nevver without drummer Jeremiah – on her current European tour she is “usually” accompanied by other friends on synths and cello [sic!]. Even as a track like the epic “Cult of Man” indicates that the songwriting is getting more refined and is generally moving away from electro pop bounce towards protracted introspection, Terror Bird continue to ooze desolate bedroom glamour in vignettes that hit the three-minute mark only once. Each of the tracks sound as if they had been rehearsed in front of a mirror, sung into an invisible microphone. Nikki Nevver’s eccentric stretching of vowels (“Shee-ee-ee-eeh kissed me-ee”) has never been more apparent, which sounds a bit contrived at times, fitting the general atmosphere of faked fake perfectly. “Waiting For Nothing” might be the standout track on this album but other tracks, like the dark wave grandeur of “If We Escape” or the 109-second ballad “In My Bones”, confirm that Terror Bird are at the top of their sleazy game.
“Secret Rituals” is vinyl only and comes with a download code.
