Frankie Rose and Matthew Hord formed the duo
Fine Place in order to explore different directions than any of their respective projects.
Rose had already gone from playing in reverb-heavy garage rock bands like
Crystal Stilts and
Vivian Girls to making a series of lush, new wave-influenced albums on her own, and Hord had played in noisy lo-fi punk groups like
Heavy Times and
Running before joining
Pop. 1280 as they started heading in a more synth-based direction.
Fine Place's debut is in the same ballpark as both artists' later work, but it has a much more dystopian atmosphere, and it seems to bring out their experimental impulses more than their other releases. Haunting opener "I Can't Shake It" layers
Rose's foggy vocals over disconcerting MRI-like beeps and lurching drum machine kicks and claps, immediately creating an air of uncertainty and trepidation. The album's title track is a coldwave goth-pop gem, mingling eerie synths and ethereal guitars as
Rose's enchanting vocals float over rock-solid beats. "Cover Blind" is suave yet cautious, with
Rose warning "just don't fall asleep" over a creeping rhythm that brings to mind witch house stripped of the blown-out, gimmicky distortion. The relaxing electro beats and floating vocals of "Tending to Twenty" glide high up in the air, and the rippling synths and choral vocals of "It's Your House" provide comfort and solace. The suspense returns with the erratic beats and stirring noises of "Tell Me a Second Time," with solemn pianos and whimpering voices contributing to the song's unsettling aura. The duo blow out the candles with a faithful cover of Belgian group Adult Fantasies' 1989 darkwave lullaby "The Party Is Over."
Fine Place shift between soothing affirmations and fearsome undercurrents, never quite revealing what their true intentions are, but always beckoning your attention. ~ Paul Simpson