From Nursery To Misery / Nostalgie Eternelle – Art Is The Tool

Ah, now, this is a little better. The NOSTALGIE ETERNELLE side is well-played - a little moody, a little poppy. The vocalist sounds not unlike ADI NEWTON singing up an octave. The music reminded me at times of JOY DIVISION & BAUHAUS, with elements of early FASHION, without getting too close to any of these. The bassline on one of the tracks could have been pinched from THE SLITS "Love & Romance". Although in this it appears in a different and (dare I say it) better context. The vocalist is the definite focal point - these people have a bright future - invest now.
The F.N.T.M. side shows a little maturity over "Equilibrium". The music is still good, well-constructed synth mood pop, but, as ever, it's the voice of GINA FEAR which dominates. This time they use a lot more harmonics and it improves the sound no end. GINA's flat vocal style (?) takes some getting used to, but it has to be said - it grows! Considering all three review tapes, this would be a good starting point for those interested in F.N.T.M. (or NOSTALGIE ETERNELLE!).

Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.