Coil - Musick To Play In The Dark²

The sequel to volume 1 and possibly the second best Coil album(volume 1 being just superior).
This begins with 'Something'.John Balance's voice switches bewteen the left and right speaker voicing the song title.This is joined by swirling wind effects and droning keys before more vocals come in which are hard to discern but seem to say 'i know why the birdcage sings'.
Track 2,'Tiny Golden Books'is to this LP what 'Red Birds...' was to volume 1.It begins with high pitched chimes which seem to disturb your ears in an almost painful way.The track then evolves into a sweeping dance epic and recalls the Orb's 'A Huge Evergrowing Pulsating Brain That Rules From the Centre of the Universe'.It's a very otherworldly track,which is a feeling reinforced by the vocals talking about visitors leaving 'without a sound'.
Track 3,Ether,is one of the greatest Coil songs ever written.It starts with a few minutes of distorted piano before the melancholy piano riff begins properly.Thighpaulsandra lays more piano over this riff,as John sings/talks a lament to the drug Ether.There is a triple meaning going on here as ether also refers to the clear sky and a fabricated element lying invisble between all things.The lyrics themselves are Coil at their best:
'Ether is a thief,it's stolen my belief.'
'I've changed my mind,it's what it's there for.'
'I'm going upstairs now,to turn my mind off.'
The next track is 'Paranoid Inlay'.It's quite trippy but follows the same pattern as the other songs;a repeating melody,spoken vocals,and weird glitches that represent a digital fire crackling.
'An Emergency' is a very short song with vocals by Rose Mcdowall(Current 93,Strawberry Switchblade,Rosa Mundi).
'Where are You?' is another of the best tracks.Very melancholic and moody.
Finally,'Batwings',is another epic which has a descending sine-wave synth riff with spoken words over the top.The 13 minute track ends with a wall of singing in a weird language which is probably been created by Coil.
This is moon musick indeed.