Prefuse 73 - "The Only She Chapters" Album Review

Prefuse 73 - The Only She Chapters

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I didn't know what I was getting into when I started listening to the new Prefuse 73 album, 'The Only She Chapters', written and produced by Guillermo S. Herron. I do not know why, but all of the 18 songs start with "The Only..." in their titles. It's very dark, ambient, and at times completely spooky. An old school, music aficionado could easily describe this album as goth, whereas an alternative, 21st century hipster could classify this album as witch house. Labeling aside, a track like "The Only Contact She's Willing To Give" featuring Faidherbe, sounds like it would not be out of place in the intro of a horror film that dealt with supernatural apparitions. 

Supernatural apparitions or smoke from my bong?

The rest of the songs follow this similar dark theme with female voices wailing in subtle mournful echoes while haunted keyboards sustain themselves in the background like spirits trying to manifest themselves in the material world. "The Only Trial Of 9000 Suns" features the late Trish Keenan of the band Broadcast, who died earlier this year from swine-flu related pneumonia. This track eerily sounds like her ghost is still hovering among the living. 

RIP Trish Keenan 

The song "The Only Way To Find" featuring Nico Turner, shows us a trip-hop sound that would be fashionable in the darkest corners of forgotten chill rooms at an underground rave. "The Only Direction In Concrete" featuring Zola Jesus, takes us straight to ambient demonic possession. Halfway through the album, I imagine that this would be an awesome make-out soundtrack for make believe vampires. 

Make believe vampire girls about to make out.

"The Only Serenidad" sung by Claudia and Alejandra Deheza of the band, School Of Seven Bells, brings a noisier, beat less, shoegaze sound similar to My Bloody Valentine's "To Here Knows When". "The Only Repeat" sung by Angel Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors, and "The Only Recycled Intro" close the album out in a climax of aural ectoplasm. If you are the type of music fan that only likes songs with audible and sing-a-long words, then this album may not be for you and you should stick to commercial music. 'The Only She Chapters' is not only haunting, but beautiful in it's presentation of the female voice much like the mythological sirens that lead sailors to their ultimate doom.

- Mike