EXCESSION 
Forever
~reviewed by Mick Mercer

With Dave from Vendemmian involved you’ve got to give it a go. He handles instruments and Yasmin sings, it’s all very polite, there’s no website and I don’t have a great deal to say about this, because I don’t think it has a great deal to offer than you might already realise.

Picking highlights I’d have to say that ‘Wanting’ is very attractive musically, which is short and to the point, quietly melodic, but with hazy, rather expressionless, vocals.
‘59’ is a sleepier, filmic, music that stops way too early, and with the guitar urgency underplayed ‘Caged Bird’ is sweet, but I’m not overly impressed.

In ‘So Close’ Yasmin’s vocal deficiencies are highlighted by the music plodding forward. Her voice isn’t that bad, but certainly lacks strength and she can’t sustain anything high pitched, so the musical arrangements leave her frequently exposed . The music also has a problem in that certain Goth sounds have ossified and this rekindles memories of the early to mid 90’s, having acquired no added depth, which maybe down to a lack of equipment, or effervescence. The irony is that when they don’t sound noticeably Goth the music actually has a tranquil charm, but when it does get Goth it sounds dated. ‘Blind Faith’ being slow suits her voice better, and has greater personality because the emphasis is on her character, but it remains rather dour, just as  ‘It’s A Sin’ is a nice little song, which would have sounded far better with a fresher sound.

One for the diehards.

Wanting
Aurora Borealis
Desire
59
Caged Bird
So Close
Blind Faith
Something
Vapid
It’s A Sin

No website? Weird, but e-mail excessionuk@yahoo.co.uk or write to Excession, 16 barrow Road, London, SW16 5PF

09/09/02