Peter Murphy's Remixes from Lion is a companion piece to his 2014 LP of the same name, which saw the "Godfather of Goth" digging deep into electro-pop and darkwave textures with mostly positive results. Produced by
Killing Joke's
Martin "Youth" Glover,
Lion was a typically moody affair with a surprising amount of venom, and with its thick, synth-heavy sound, lends itself well to the remix process. Rather than farm it out to various DJs and producers,
Glover handled most of the remixes himself, giving it a cohesion similar to the original release. If the extended mixes feel a little too early-'90s at times, it can be forgiven considering that both artist and producer were enjoying a heyday in those heady times of surging alt-rock and college radio. The throwback sound works well on standouts like "I Am My Own Name" and the heavy "Hang Up." Also featured are a handful of bonus tracks from the
Lion sessions, the best of which is the
Bowie-esque "Gabriel," which comes off like a gothy "Drive-In Saturday" with its lush, glammy arrangement. Like most remix albums, this is hit or miss, but fans of
Murphy,
Glover, and their 2010s collaborations won't be disappointed. ~ Timothy Monger