Maybe the Psychedelic Furs tour had a bigger impact than I originally thought. The latest from She Wants Revenge, Valleyheart, would be a more fitting soundtrack to a John Hughes movie now than say, a Tim Burton one.
In other words, the darkness is gone. There are moments boiling beneath surface (“Take The World”, “Reasons”, “Suck It Up”) but for the fans longing for “Tear You Apart” part two, you’re going to have to look elsewhere.
This isn’t a bad thing, people. When “Kiss Me” follows the sublime opener “Take The World”, you’ll be tempted to skip it. Don’t. Sure, it is extremely poppy for a band that once wanted to “fucking tear you apart” but bands mature and this is a band that wants to build a relationship with you after that sordid night out at the goth club.
The atmospheric “Not Just A Girl” is a true gem. Utilizing strings and acoustic guitars under a rich, densely layered keyboard background (Thanks, Adam Bravin!) with a harmonious Justin Warfield crooning “And you can say anything” is just pure bliss. Did I mention the guitar solo in that one? No? Well, that’s great, too.
There’s single “Must Be The One” which, again, is perfect for a John Hughes movie. The opening guitar line is so fitting for the ’80’s and the “Ohhhhhh’s” in the chorus just cement the feeling.
This is a very mature, very different She Wants Revenge album. If you listened to the EP’s Save Your Soul and its follow up Up And Down, then you knew this was coming.
With Valleyheart, She Wants Revenge have successfully crafted an album that encapsulates everything great about ’80’s new wave. If they were compared to Joy Division before, think of this as their New Order album.