Acey Slade and the Dark Party
Released 2010

Marketing is the new God of music in this millennium where lack of industry support and dollars can spell the premature end of any promising young band despite their best efforts. So if you have a high concept that attracts attention the worst you can do is lose that impetus and not capitalise on it.

A name like ‘Acey Slade and the Dark Party’ may bring to mind all kinds of pictures to your mind, it sounds glam, sure, and Dark Party is a cool name for a band and the balance is there between the light and glammy and the dark and brooding – so far so good. But do they have the songs to back it up?

The answer is… complicated, and open to interpretation, but the very least I can say is that it’s an interesting ride! Looking like Semi-Precious Weapons meets the Toilet Boys meets Sig Sig does colour you opinion of what they might sound like as do titles like ‘Sugar Cum’ and Plastic Lego Queen’.   

From the toy keyboard intro to ‘Here Today’ you know you are in for something a little different, stylistically this pulls from all over. There’s a real eighties electronic UK pop-rock vibe, a sound that draws from Duran Duran, U2, the earlier Cult, a bit of Peter Murphy and maybe some Placebo. Then he puts it all through the ringer and it comes out sounding familiar but refreshing. Acey might not win any awards for his vocals, but his voice it sits nicely with the music.

Of the songs here ‘She Brings Down the Moon’ adds a Goth meets Primal Scream slant to the mix, and the groove has you nodding away, it’s a great song and really set off by the funked-up backing vocals – a definite highlight. Elsewhere the cover of ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ is brave, but I guess it’s just one of those great songs you best not cover.  Keepers include ‘Spider in a Snow Globe’ and the darker ‘Reptile House’,

There’s a lot of promise here, and a very solid debut, if Acey gets it right next time he might just be a name on everyone’s lips.

Mark Diggins