Review / 200 Words Or Less
Cape Noire
Ad Nauseam EP

It's a blank, black slate. There is little information, and everything about Cape Noire is ambiguous. Live pictures are, fittingly, of a woman in a black cape, her face shielded from the glare of the lights. As far as anyone knows, in the absence of a back story, Cape Noire have appeared out of nowhere. Their Ad Nauseam EP is bullish. On trip-hop single "Fire" the female lead declares "Did you know you destroyed all of me? Fucker!" while swirling vocals envelope the chorus. At every turn there's an eeriness that befits the dark concept of Cape Noire, from the reverberating drums on call-to-arms "Fifteen" to the caustic, piano-backed "Three Feathers".

But it seems the concept is just that: a concept. Lyrically, there's a repetitiveness that grates. By the third repeat of "Drop this fucking loser" on "Three Feathers" it all seems a bit obvious. Yes, she's angry, but you question whether she's only angry for the sake of the EP. Funnelling aggression through music needs to sound believable and visceral, but when it's lacking depth or layers it falls short and sounds forced. There's an abundance of style here, both in concept and musically, but the substance wears thin.