Time and the Maiden

The world is filled with gloomy goth bands, and it can be pretty hard to tell them apart. Claire Voyant distinguishes itself not by means of a unique approach or new ideas, but by having the best singer in the genre, the golden-throated Victoria Lloyd. Despite moustache-twirling song titles like "Eventide," "Elysium," "Iolite," and, heaven knows, the title track, the music itself is refreshingly free of pretense. Synthesizers and drum programs, courtesy of Chris Ross, provide a soft bed for the shimmering guitars of Benjamin Fargen and for Lloyd's crystalline voice, and the melodies, while never exactly catchy, are always sweet enough to hold your attention and counteract the vague darkness of the music. There's more than a hint of the Cocteau Twins in the gently lovely "Love the Giver" and in the guitar part to "Time and the Maiden," while "Elysium" sounds a bit like a less pretentious This Mortal Coil or a much, much less pretentious Dead Can Dance. This is an impressive effort from a very promising young band.