Black Tape's third full album takes the band to a new level of grace; while bandleader Rosenthal's work remains generally consistent - ambient soundscapes mingled with low-key rock mood pieces, backing Rosenthal's varying studies of romantic obsession and fragmentation - the various performances here are more involving than ever.
Herrera and Kenny-Smith return as the major vocalists, along with Rosenthal himself on 'slight vocals' and electronics; a bevy of other guest performances flesh out the album as a whole, from guitars to clarinet and violin.
The opening title track proved to be the best Black Tape song up to that point, starting with a gentle wash of electronics suddenly punctuated by a tribal percussion hit - wonderfully echoed and layered for atmosphere - and Kenny-Smith's delicate take on the lyrics.
Herrera himself gets to shine in the very next number, "Across A Thousand Blades," one of the more overtly goth-rock numbers Black Tape has recorded, with a pulsing rhythm, Cure/Banshees-like guitar and fretless bass adding to Herrera's anguished performance.
The rest of the album doesn't quite match up to such an excellent beginning, but as a consistent collection of songs and performances, Ashes is never anything less that tastefully atmospheric, and often more than that, a perfect soundtrack to a late night.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashes in the Brittle AirSam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 04:01 | 9 MB | 18 MB |
| 2 | Across a Thousand BladesSam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 03:40 | 8 MB | 20 MB |
| 3 | The Touch and the DarknessWalter Holland, Sam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 02:58 | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| 4 | Through Sky Blue RoomsSam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 01:36 | 3 MB | 9 MB |
| 5 | The Scar of a PoetSam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 07:29 | 17 MB | 36 MB |
| 6 | You Tangle Within MeSam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 04:25 | 10 MB | 21 MB |
| 7 | Am I So DeceivedSam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 05:10 | 11 MB | 22 MB |
| 8 | I Ran to YouSam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 03:28 | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| 9 | I Wish You Could SmileSam Rosenthal | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 02:58 | 6 MB | 14 MB |
| 10 | Is It Love That Dare Not Be | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Play | 02:17 | 5 MB | 11 MB |
| 38 mins | 87 MB | |||||
| 38 mins | 186 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Tape for a Blue Girl | Primary Artist |
| 2 | Oscar Herrera | Vocals |
| 3 | Walter Holland | Composer, Engineer, Guitar, Vocals |
| 4 | Allan Kraut | Percussion |
| 5 | Stephen Nester | Piano |
| 6 | Sam Rosenthal | Composer, Cover Art Concept, Design, Electronics, Mixing, Package Concept, Vocals |
| 7 | Robin Russell | Vocals |
| 8 | Paula Smith | Cover Model |
| 9 | Sue-Kenny Smith | Composer, Guitar, Vocals |
| 10 | Richard Watson | Clarinet |
Black Tape for a Blue Girl
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |