Album Review: Ville Valo - Neon Noir

How exactly did the Gothic turn into Goth? Was it just that we misinterpreted "Dracula", and somehow bought into the idea that the monsters we perceive ourselves to be are inherently sexier than the meat-bags we appear to be? I'm not really sure, but it's something I used to think about when H.I.M. was a band of renown. The whole Goth culture struck me as being sadness with extra makeup, and not delving any deeper than that surface-level paint. Sadness is fascinating because of what it can unlock in us, how we are able to find in the depths just how shallow we are. In order for blood to shine black in the moonlight, we first have to bleed.

H.I.M. was often referred to as 'love metal', and their heartagram logo did nothing to dispel that notion. It is an overly romantic reading of the Gothic roots. They were there, but it usually bubbled under the surface. It's hard to scream through your own tears.

Ville Valo's new solo outing is in many ways a continuation of H.I.M.'s sound, the cooing brand of rock that never fit in with any style or time. Ville is an original, that much is for sure. I can't think of many people who have ever been more soothing while still playing rather heavy rock, or a voice that could have matched how nonchalant the idea of ripping the wings off a butterfly seemed when he sang it. Emotional violence sounded no different than therapy, and perhaps there's a lesson for us to learn in that idea.

The difference here is that without the preconceptions of the band, Ville dials back on the rock elements just a hair, giving the album more of an old pop sheen than before. The guitars are still there, and they swell with washes of soft distortion, but they aren't as high in the mix, and they are purposely dialed in to have less bite. The title track is a perfect illustration of this. The structure of the opening, with the guitar harmony over the chords, is similar to "Rip Out The Wings Of A Butterfly", but not only does the lead sound more serene, but the chorus is more of a gentle wave than a roaring white-cap.

I'll be honest; especially with the multiple five and six minute long songs, the mix being primarily vocals and drums became rather tedious. I don't mind softer music by any means, but the mix sounded to my ears like there was too much empty space, which got filled with thoughts distracting me from what I was listening to.

The record also moves along slowly at times, with those longer tracks filling up the time with slower paces and too much ambience. That stops things from ever building up momentum, either for the record as a whole, or within each song. Ville delivers plenty of his trademark velvet melodies, but getting there takes longer than I would like it to. I don't think it's a coincidence my favorite songs tend to be the shorter ones.

That leaves me stuck in the middle. On the one hand, Ville does something unique and captivating. His lush brand of sad rock has a hypnotic sense to it. On the other hand, the record tries my patience, and it definitely could use some more heft to the mix. It's an album I want to love, but have trouble seeing through the faults. Sometimes, a good record that doesn't meet expectations is harder to wrap your head around than an outright bad one. That's what I'm feeling here.

"Neon Noir" has much to love about it. Love is frustrating, after all.