Survivors of the late-2000s blog-house era,
the Golden Filter released their second proper full-length in 2017, not including a soundtrack mini-album and three volumes of non-album material titled Unselected Works. While 2010 debut album
Völuspà was filled with
Saint Etienne-inspired electropop jams that would've fit nicely in a playlist with hipster dance favorites like
Annie and
Hercules & Love Affair,
Still // Alone is much darker and more isolated, verging on coldwave. The album is divided into two parts, with the first consisting of club-focused tracks, and the second being proper songs. Still (the first part) reflects the duo's love of minimal techno, with sparse, steadily evolving dance beats and percolating acid synths, along with
Penelope Trappes' monochromatic vocals. "Vibrational" is an early highlight, with flanged claps and dubby echo effects bouncing off the walls. "Now We Get Lost" is a bit more urgent, with
Trappes' breathy vocals drifting beneath punchy kick drums and suspenseful synths, occasionally repeating the track's title. Following the blippy, feedback-laced interlude "//," the album's song-driven second half, Alone, begins with the slow, slithering "Questions." The dark synth pop tune "Dust" is easily the most full-sounding production on the album, with atmospheric post-punk guitars, rich synths, and huge '80s drum machines. "There Is No Love Between Us" is slightly bouncier, even if it's slower and the lyrics are obviously about heartbreak.
The Golden Filter have come a long way since their more upbeat, disco-fied early material, but their transformation into a darkwave-leaning act is proving to be a rewarding one. ~ Paul Simpson