Dark Adapted Eye＜Yellow Vinyl＞

While Dark Adapted Eye is really just an expanded edition of Inky Bloaters for the American market -- minus one track from the original but with a slew of other cuts from other sources -- it does give the best possible case around for Danielle Dax' sometimes harrowing, often surprising art. The emphasis is certainly on her later stabs at commercial possibilities, which she has just as much of a knack and sense for as she does for heavy-duty experimentalism. A dominant influence on her work in this more mainstream vein is an interesting one; Marc Bolan whose cryptic lyrics and ear for a fuzz guitar hook inform some of the best moments here. Certainly "Big Hollow Man" is as excellent a revamp and updating of the classic T. Rex acoustic/electric boogie as many, but Dax makes her own stamp quite clear, ripping into the materialistic creep of the title with a snarl. The new cuts specifically done for the collection similarly work with such an addictive and attractive combination. "Cat-House" is a wonderfully sly -- in many senses of the word -- raucous opening number for the collection, while "White Knuckle Ride" lives up to its name. The absolute winner of the new cuts, though, is "Whistling for His Love," one of Dax' most straightforward numbers, and one of her most attractive, a good dance groove with a fine melody, great harmony singing from Dax and concluding sitar. David Knight makes for a fantastic collaborator; while he and Dax perform just about everything one way or another, making it impossible to immediately judge who is playing what, there's no question that what they come up with is winning throughout. The inclusion of other rarities like "Touch Piggy's Eyes" helps make Dark Adapted Eye a fantastic starting place for Dax newcomers. ~ Ned Raggett