8mm is not a new band, but they’re new to me. I first heard them in July when the video for “Over and Over” was included in a post from The Wild is Calling (aside: follow that account, they share great stuff).
It was a throwback to the trip-hop glory days of 20+ years ago, and I listened to it again and again. I was travelling a lot at the time and somehow I forgot to include it here at the time.
That works out. Last Friday their new album Black Cat was released. It’s tremendous: cinematic, hypnotic and consuming. I can’t get enough of it. It’s their first proper album in ten years. Here’s the opening track, same name as the record:
The whole album has that dark, cinematic style, with lots of synth beds and piano, trip-hop drums, sultry vocals and dramatic lyrics. Super rich production shouldn’t be a surprise: there are two members of the group, and the one not singing in those two songs worked on Pretty Hate Machine, among a lot of other major projects.
There are a couple of killer covers on it, including a cover of INXS’ “Need You Tonight” that could have been done by Garbage at their peak. It’s a perfect reinvention of that classic song:
Even when they go small-scale production, it’s mesmerizing. There are a couple of songs on the record that play a little more on the subdued, gentler side of the genre, such as “Shoot the Messenger” and closer “Goodbye Lullaby”.
It was surprising to find out they’ve been making music for such a long time without ever crosing my radar. Their first record, Songs to Love and Die By, was released in 2006! Their Wikipedia page (which is in need of a minor update) tells me they’ve had songs featured in films and TV a bunch of times. How did I miss this for so long?
Better late than never, I guess. This record is fantastic.
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