Anthology Archive [Digipak]

Formed by Black Tape for a Blue Girl/Projekt main man Sam Rosenthal and neo-cabaret queen Nicki Jaine, Revue Noir never put out a full album, but Anthology Archive draws all the pieces together -- five formally released songs plus eight unreleased studio and live numbers -- for those interested. If a diversion for both it was a fruitful one, with Jaine's aesthetic choices taking the lead more often than not; Rosenthal's electronic work has rarely been so spiky, except perhaps in recent years, and Jaine's commanding voice keeps the focus on her throughout. A perfect example lies in the remake of the Black Tape standard "I Have No More Answers," turned from the extended serene romanticism of the original into a tense, stark arrangement. With Jaine's singing giving the words a bitterer, forceful edge and the music turning into a Grand Guignol soundtrack by the end, it's a striking reinvention -- Black Tape's "Halo Star" also appears in a live version here, enjoyable but not as breathtaking a revamp. On the duo's originals such as "The Gravediggers" and most memorably "A Girl, a Smoke," featured in both a rehearsal and a final version, Jaine's cabaret/goth air of brittle, coolly beautiful command is paramount. The latter song, the duo's best overall, switches from mournful to sharp and angry on the chorus, all doing so without breaking the flow of the piece. Besides other originals, including the piano-led "Strange Little Show" and the near black metal symphonics of "She Is the Madman," three full covers appear, each almost obviously appropriate: the Brecht/Weill standard "Alabama Song"; the Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties" (done without the obsessively driving rhythm of the original, a choice that works well for them); and most enjoyably, David Bowie's "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide," the implied Dietrich-like showstopper nature of the song given full life in Jaine's hands, especially on the big but not strained conclusion. ~ Ned Raggett