Spellbinding noir soundscapery
Who They?
Whether you realise it or not, you will have come across the work of American composer, producer and singer Wendy Rae Fowler. From collaborating with rock royalty to writing music for film and TV, she finally put her own name to her gothic debut album ‘Warped’ in 2018. Fraught with issues, the release sunk into obscurity. Now with the rights back, Fowler has released a remastered version as ‘Warped:Resurrection’.
Why Wendy Rae Fowler?
‘Warped:Resurrection’ recalls the peak of 1980s goth pop experimentation. Fowler’s soaring, bewitching vocals dance with subdued psychedelic guitar swirls, tribals beats and nascent electronic flourishes recalling This Mortal Coil, The Creatures or more currently Penelope Trappes. The opener ‘This Is Not A Love Song’ sets the tone of captivating soundscapes, finding almost cinematic scope from simplicity. It has a sinister swagger that would make Nick Cave feel uneasy. Also revelling in the unease, is the album’s only new track, a stalking version of The Stranglers’ classic ‘Golden Brown’, which presents the woozy horrors of the druggy subject matter in its dark glory.
Tell Us More…
After joining cult space/desert rock collective Earthlings? in 1997, Fowler went on to collaborate with bands in the group’s orbit like Mark Lanegan, Queens Of The Stone Age and Eagles Of Death Metal. Popping up briefly in her own experimental rock act, We Fell To Earth, she has spent a decade working with the likes of UNKLE, Timo Mass and Maya Jane Coles. And as if that’s not enough, she provided the theme music to noir-thriller ‘The Killing’ with her tracks also featuring on TV hits ‘Orange Is The New Black’ and ‘The Republic Of Sarah’.
‘Warped:Resurrection’ is out on Ghost Rhythm
