The Best of Human Drama... In a Perfect World

The absolutely stunning In a Perfect World is a generous 16-song "best-of" that cuts out all of Human Drama's weaker moments, bringing John Indovina's most brilliant turns straight to the top and never once putting a single toe out of place. From the opening "Death of an Angel" and the impassioned vocals and rocking guitar scythe of "I Could Be a Killer" on to a kicking live version of "Dying in a Moment of Splendor," in which Indovina, backed by a piano and brushed drums, sounds so sincere as to be laughable but isn't at all, In a Perfect World becomes a potent reminder of just how devastatingly important Human Drama was to the American goth scene. With a mixed bag of traditional goth twists and American glam guitar, and an appreciation of startling musical turns with piano and strings, the songs resonate in a way not many expected. That brilliance is particularly present on the introspective "Love's Way," which captures the spirit of Steve Harley, just one of the glam icons whose vision Indovina so skillfully channels. Adding a few early nuggets (including "This Tangled Web" and"Fascination and Fear") and the wickedly fiddled "The Ways and Wounds (Of My World)" completes the painting, ultimately rendering In a Perfect World a masterpiece that is absolutely true to the band's rock-solid career and breathtakingly individual intent.