CD, Aetheria Music, 2009
www.bellalune.net
Described as ‘dreampop’, “Abstracted Visions”, the debut album of the Arizona-based duo Bella Lune comes across as something of an oddity and feels like a throwback to the late ’90s of American gothic music. The acknowledgements list in the accompanying booklet is an indicator of what the listener is getting into – especially with names like Neil Gaiman and Tori Amos popping up among heavyweights from gothic music history.
Immediately after beginning to listen to “Abstracted Visions”, one may end up comparing Bella Lune with Switchblade Symphony. Not only is there a striking similarity between Fuchsia’s vocals and Switchblade Symphony’s Tina Root but, in both bands, the vocal element is the main driving force for the songs, with the instrumental part playing a decidedly secondary role. However, Bella Lune’s instrumental arrangements are more complex and layered in a suitably subtle manner, reinforcing the dreamlike quality of the songs and of the quasi-surreal lyrical content. Agreeable listening for a lazy (but quirky) afternoon or late evening if cute and non-pretentious goth-tinted pop is the listener’s cup of tea.
Pleasant and quirky as “Abstracted Visions” may be when one begins to listen to it, halfway through chances are that the listener will get a nagging feeling of déjà vu. And here lies the main problem with this release, a definite lack of variety – something which might not be such an issue if this had been released as an EP, a shorter format which could provide the listener with a more solid listening experience. But, as it is, there is a definite lack of diversity that may give the impression of formulaic work. This is something that Bella Lune may consider addressing on in their future work.
[6.5/10]
— Miguel de Sousa