Cold Cave : Passion Depression

Hearing Passion Depression side by side with Cold Cave‘s 2011 album Cherish the Light Years, you can’t help but wonder how Wes Eisold has progressed into such a dark place. Thirteen years ago, he was one of the artists who helped raise the flag for the post-punk revival that flourished for the decade and a half that followed. With little more mainstream exposure than college radio play, this project went from building a buzz in the underground to opening for Depeche Mode. Instead of seeking commercial exposure, however, Eisold continues to retreat further into the shadows.
On their fourth album, Cold Cave double down on the commitment to the kind of ’80s-style synth grooves they invoked on 2021’s Fate in Seven Lessons. Eisold’s haunting baritone retains the project’s darkwave center of gravity, even as the instrumentation explorers other sonic places. “Shadow Dance” embarks on a darker path, as it coasts on a neon-laced synth bass line through the dark alleys of Hollywood. Vocally, Eisold’s cold croon works well here. He becomes submerged even deeper underwater in the ’80s fixation with “Blackberries.” Lyrically he is playing off every darkwave cliche when it comes to being dramatic about relationships, but overall, it flows together well enough to deliver the goods.
“Hourglass” offers a lighter emotional shade than the first three songs that overtly lay in the darkness. This effective shift gives a dynamic breath to this album by offering a change of mood. The vocal melody feels more like something a band like Modern English might dabble in. Rather than attempt to go in a more pop direction with it, however, the song drones off on a variation of the same melodic themes. The first song that feels like something your local goth nite DJ might add to their set review is “Siren Song,” which pulses with the kind of intensity you need to get the Vampiras twerking. The new wave radio nuance slips back into “Everlasting,” with Eisold’s crooned vocals bearing marginally more of an Ian Curtis-like cadence, though up til this point Cold Cave’s sound has owed more to New Order than Joy Division.
Eisold retains enough of his personality to keep Cold Cave from sliding into the post-punk revivalist hordes. Finally, a guitar riff emerges to play a larger role in a song for “Holy Road” with Amy Lee’s vocals coming to the forefront. Dark, driving synths take control of the last song, “Octavia,” with an even heavier feel and Eisold’s vocals dropping down into a more cavernous creep. Passion Depression might not break new ground, necessarily, but rather perfects the formula for churning out the haunted anthems Cold Cave has been delivering for nearly two decades. It’s perfectly suited for Halloween, even if the urge to rock the dancefloor is dialed back.
Label: Heartworm Press
Year: 2024