San Diego electronica trio Matte Blvck caught our attention in 2020 with the release of their darkly industrial debut I'm Waving, Not Drowning. Four years later, the band returns with Vows, refining its recipe while conversing with its identity.
As with their previous opus, this album features two very distinct types of track: on the one hand, the trio serves up a blend of edgy electro, between dark EBM (Pupula Duplex, House of Serpents, BTTR), synthwave (BLISS, Vicious Dreams) and cyberpunk (PROXY, Holy Wars), with an emphasis on aggressive bass lines and psychedelic flights of fancy, all served up with an almost cinematic approach. On the other hand, the Californians unveil new wave tracks (Midnight & Angel, Vows) in which the influence of Depeche Mode is clearly evident. The vocal performance of singer Alex Gonzales is convincing in this respect, harmonizing finely with generous orchestrations imbued with melancholy. With its captivating melodies and energy, the album is equally suited to the dancefloor or more introspective moments.
With Vows, Matte Blvck delivers a rich, immersive aural experience, confirming all the good things we thought about the band. Fans of dark, electronic sounds will find in this album an accomplished work, oscillating between a retro aesthetic and a futuristic vision, a formula we're sure will keep the band under the radar for years to come.
