FEEL REVIEW:
It might have seemed like a good idea at the time. Highly tipped L.A. band with a definite goth bent and a hyper-theatrical lead singer gets signed to a major label and releases a heavily hyped debut album produced by Ian Broudie, known for his work with Echo & the Bunnymen and others. Perhaps RCA's goal was to search for the new Cure or something, but the end result wasn't promising -- indeed, it was almost disastrous. On the one hand, the elements that make Indovina and company's work so gripping are already present, notably his intense and often quite beautiful singing voice and the overall band's ear for atmospheric dramatics. On the other hand, nearly everything is almost too dramatic -- the best comparison here might in fact be the Mission, whose similarly best intentions were often torpedoed by the sheer over-the-top nature of the performances. When Indovina sings with a quieter, hushed delivery, he makes his sometimes-unwieldy lyrics flow wonderfully, but when he fires up into loud-as-hell if tuneful enough mode, it's really too much to handle or easily listen to with a straight face. Musically, meanwhile, Broudie seems to have encouraged them to be a studio-slick commercial metal band as much as a dark collective, and as a result Feel has dated terribly, often striking melodies and songs ultimately quashed under the burden of some late-'80s record company executive's idea of commercial success. The far more fluid and textured approach of the band's later years isn't here yet -- Feel's just too ham-handed to work as it should. There are some definite winners here, no question. The smart start track "Death of an Angel," a frenetic but actually pretty fun take on Neil Young's "Old Man," and the just-gets-away-with-it metadrama at Feel's core, "The Waiting Hour," are three of the best.
THE WORLD INSIDE REVIEW
The contrast between Feel and The World Inside wasn't quite night and day, but compared to the ruinous mainstream gloss and semi-metal wank of the debut, The World Inside was the album that truly showed why Human Drama was a special band, with Indovina toning things down while increasing the dark, enthralling power of the music as a whole. Produced by Indovina along with percussionist Charles Bouis, the album features a greatly expanded studio lineup revolving around the core of Indovina, Bouis, and Rita D'Albert, who handles guitar and, notably, flute. Her abilities on the latter, plus Indovina's and guitarist Carlo Bartolini's own skill with string arrangements, make for a much-better texturing of the band's work overall, while overall the sound is much more lush and involved, dramatic without being overbearing. Much of the album is in fact acoustic, relying on the combination of Indovina's gently ringing guitar and violin and cello by various players to set the quietly majestic tone, backed by Bouis' strong but not rampaging drumming (another definite improvement over Feel's slick punch). An effective showcase of this overall combination is the stunning "The World Inside II," containing all the personal passion familiar from earlier work but simply succeeding so much more, Indovina's voice truly a wonder, the blend of music a focused dramatic miniature. Other fine numbers include "Fascination and Fear," with a worthy guest vocal turn from L.A. goth legend Patrick Mata of Kommunity FK, and the involving "Color Me Red." Two absolute highlights made up both sides of an associated single, one being an affecting cover of Marianne Faithfull's "Times Square" that doesn't quite equal the original in impact, but gets very close indeed. Meanwhile, "This Tangled Web" is the centerpiece of the album, fragile synths adding to Indovina's best vocal turn (and some fine romantic lyrics to boot) and a lovely full-band performance.
PINUPS REVIEW:
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Human Drama took that concept to an even higher level with its third album. Not merely was Pin-Ups a covers album, like David Bowie's own Pin-Ups collection from 1973, but everything about the artwork and design -- from front cover photo to liner notes to back cover concert and studio snapshots -- totally and thoroughly clones Bowie's effort! Certainly Indovina isn't hiding his homage at all, and unsurprisingly two of Bowie's earliest songs, "After All" and "Letter to Hermione," get the treatment here. As a whole, Pin-Ups logically follows on from The World Inside in terms of the effective incorporation of string performances and subtler arrangements, provided by a rotating core of musicians. Combined with Indovina's welcome decision not to simply re-create the songs, but to interpret them through his own band's sound, the result makes for one of the better remake collections around. Part of its appeal lies with the unexpected song choices -- rather than, say, just serving up the goth world's umpteenth reworking of Bauhaus or Cure tunes, Indovina reveals deeper and varied roots indeed, touching on everyone from Mink Deville to the Rolling Stones, Roger Waters-era Pink Floyd to the Kinks, Nico to Joy Division. The two songs by the last artists are especially intriguing -- though "Love Will Tear Us Apart" has been covered to death, the slow-building interpretation here comes across very well, while the string-led variant of "Decades," violin replacing the synth line in the original, works wonders, Indovina's quietly intense singing a marvel. Another revelatory variation is Genesis' "The Carpet Crawlers," liberated from The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and turned into a captivating standout, while Tom Waits' lyrics rarely sounded so fluidly sung thanks to the intriguing choices of "Yesterday Is Here" and "Hang Down Your Head."
HUMAN DRAMA EP REVIEW:
A year before Songs of Betrayal appeared, Human Drama released this pleasant stopgap EP that managed to look both forward and to the past at the same time, succeeding in both cases. Four excellent songs that eventually turned up on Songs of Betrayal first surfaced here -- "It Is Fear," "Remember Well," and the quite wonderful "Sad I Cry" and "Tired." The instrumental "Solitude IV" (the other four songs with similar titles are on Songs of Betrayal as well) and two otherwise unavailable tunes, the fragile then surging "Breathe" and the sweeping, strong "White River," make up the bulk of Human Drama. However, the true highlight is right at the end -- a fantastic reworking of Feel's dramatic centerpiece, "The Waking Hour (Once Again)." Arranged for piano, strings, and flute, it's quite beautiful, Indovina's singing tender but no less captivating.
SONGS OF BETRAYAL REVIEW:
Human Drama's fourth full-length effort certainly had a core theme to work with -- Johnny Indovina indicates as much when he notes that the album's inspiration was one Susan McBride, and it's easy to guess what kind of betrayal was likely being talked about. The temporary home of Projekt didn't affect Human Drama's particular artistic vision, though certainly some numbers, notably the varied instrumentals that crop up throughout the album, contain something of that label's quietly ethereal bent. For the most part, though, this is Human Drama continuing its own course, combining the calmer, string-led approach of recent albums with some of the bite of the Feel days, tempered and subtler but still resulting in some fine electric guitar work from Indovina. His singing is still excellent, combining that air of breathless desperation and sharpness that he does so well at his best, while his core backing band does a fine job, with drummer/co-producer C.J. Eiriksson, also a core collaborator on Pin-Ups, keyboardist Mark Balderas, and flautist Renelle Laplante especially worthy of note. There's a fascinating balance at the album's start and end with two differing versions of the same song appearing ("This Forgotten Love") -- the earlier is a lush, full-band and orchestration take, while the later version is a dank, dark keyboard and distorted guitar and vocals variant. "Sad I Cry" is another standout, the arrangements here wonderfully melancholic and deep in a waltz-time pace, while "Tired" takes the opposite approach brilliantly, nothing more than Indovina, his electric guitar and Gerri Sutyak on cello with an intense, minimal burn. With Pin-Ups as a guide, one can almost hear the role models for much of the album -- Tom Waits' ruinous dramas, Leonard Cohen's sighing depths, Lou Reed's clipped emotionalism, even a touch of swampy New Orleans groove on "Let the Darkness In" -- translated into beautiful results.
14,384 DAYS LATER REVIEW:
Supported by most of the musical crew from the Songs of Betrayal album, Johnny Indovina leads Human Drama through an excellent, fascinating set of old and new songs on 14,384 Days Later, demonstrating that the near-obsessive focus he brings to his music in the studio is equally matched in concert. The unquestioned revelation lies with all the Feel-era tunes, here given truly wonderful renditions and arrangements that leave the overwrought studio versions well in the dust. "Death of an Angel" gives a new, prominent place to electric violin courtesy of Jamil Szmadzinski, who carries out work on that instrument excellently throughout the set, while Indovina's guitar work is simply soaring. The almost too heavy-handed for words "Dying in a Moment of Splendor" and "There Is Only You" similarly sparkle via lighter, dreamier enough takes, while the even earlier songs "Wave of Darkness" and "I Bleed for You" are at once harrowing and powerful, very human, very dramatic indeed. More recent songs such as "This Tangled Web" and "Tired," meanwhile, receive the excellent charge they deserve in a live setting -- check out the ravishing "A Million Years" in particular. Indovina is on a total and complete musical high throughout -- more people should sound this great live, vocally and instrumentally. In keeping with Indovina and the band's bent for inspired cover songs, three non-originals surface, none having appeared on Pin-Ups or elsewhere. Though delivered in blazing fashion, having the Velvet Underground's "Heroin" as the set closer isn't a surprising choice, but an intense, wonderful reworking of John Cale's solo landmark "I Keep a Close Watch" is something else again. Meanwhile, Leonard Cohen gets another nod here with a swirling, goth/folk-dance take on "Who by Fire," Szmadzinski's violin is just plain terrific, and Indovina's singing is a total high. An informative band biography by Christian Serpas accompanies the recording, along with a nicely personal message from Indovina himself.
SOLEMN SUN SETTING REVIEW:
By the time Solemn Sun Setting appeared, it was ten years on from Human Drama's brush with mainstream fame via Feel, but to Johnny Indovina's credit, where lesser musicians and acts would have long since given up, he just seems to keep getting better and better. Working again with much the same group as on Songs of Betrayal -- notably drummer C.J. Eiriksson and keyboardist Mark Balderas, along with violinist Jamil Szmadzinski continuing his excellent work from 14,384 Days Later -- on Solemn Sun Setting Indovina comes up with his best album since The World Inside -- indeed his best yet. The understated but strong vibe on Songs of Betrayal that looked beyond simple goth rock classifications flowers ever more strongly here, Indovina and company touching on everything from moody Doors-reminiscent compositions to piano/string ballads and back again. Having covered "Caroline Says II" by Lou Reed on Pin-Ups, Indovina tries a song of his own in that vein, "The Truth About Gina," and it's a lovely wonder. At some of the softest points, like the gorgeous "Goodbye" and "A Single White Rose," Indovina shows his highest register yet, all still while retaining the careful control he always shows. There's even one of the hardest rocking tracks the band has yet recorded -- the stuttering riffs and rumbling drums and bongos of "The Ways and Wounds (Of My World)" -- but it's nothing like Feel's arrested developments, Indovina's vocals slyer and purring here, his guitar work avoiding polish for a forceful, gut-felt punch. Continuing a near-constant tradition of cover songs, Human Drama revisit the Tom Waits songbook at the end, and an inspired choice it is -- the wracked "Who Are You?," one of that musician's best ever compositions, Indovina delivering it with all the suffused passion appropriate.
MOMENTOS EN EL TIEMPO REVIEW:
Though released under the full band name, this is actually Indovina solo, live and acoustic, a collection of tracks from appearances covering the latter half of the 1990s in America and Mexico (the Spanish-language name is also reflective of the album's appearance on a Mexican label). Given the exquisite intensity Indovina brings to both his music and live performances, it comes as no surprise that the album is a rewarding experience through and through. Indeed, it may well be the best listen for many people put off by the band's goth image -- it may not be a folk album per se, but Indovina sings a darn sight better than most people armed with only an unplugged six-string. A fair number of tunes were almost acoustic already in the studio, so takes on songs like "Tired" won't surprise anyone, while still resulting in compelling listens. Elsewhere, however, Indovina shows a fine ability to not simply perform a familiar song but to do so with an eye for the instrumentation and the setting, with stunning performances on "This Tangled Web" and "Fascination and Fear" among the results. Perhaps the song most reflective of Indovina's ability to rearrange to suit the mood is "Death of an Angel," with a slower pace, a gently wounded vocal, and all of the original's intensity fully intact. Indovina's ear for wide-ranging cover versions, often the band's ace in the hole, surfaces here twice, both times to good effect. Besides a cover of Tom Waits' "Yesterday Is Here," a holdover from the Pin-Ups album, there's a very intriguing obscurity -- the Williams Brothers' "Can't Cry Hard Enough," originally from that duo's self-titled 1991 album.
IN A PERFECT WORLD..THE BEST OF REVIEW:
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.
CAUSE AND EFFECT REVIEW:
It's been nearly 20 years since Johnny Indovina first began singing and performing in public, and he still leads Human Drama with pride and passion, as Cause and Effect demonstrates. Coming off a series of Indovina-related releases such as the live solo compilation and the Memory Burn collaboration, this album, released as a mail-order effort, is very much a Human Drama release in spirit through and through, right down to including some cover versions. This time out, regular source of inspiration Leonard Cohen, who is acknowledged with a closing version of his mid-'80s song "Dance Me to the End of Love," shares space with Emmylou Harris' tribute to her father, "Bang the Drum Slowly." In both cases, Indovina does a great job, as expected, in bringing out the potential depths of both pieces, with a full-band sound on the latter song and a close, tender sway on the former. As for his originals, Indovina is again in fine form with both his trademark close-to-the-bone lyrical style and his warm, often-beautiful voice. With a core group of four backing him up, including now-established regular keyboardist Mark Balderas, along with nearly 20 guest performers, Indovina and producer Chris Lizote move even more strongly away from any goth rock tag to a more unique, involving hybrid. The gentle R&B and funk of "Look at Me Now," the rougher groove of "Goodnight Sweetheart," and the downbeat, steadily paced "The Mystery" all get spiked with strong string arrangements courtesy of Indovina, as does pretty much the whole album. Songs like the broken-heart epic "Imitation Of" and "Cynthia's Journal" are definite classics from a songwriter who hasn't stopped creating strong, involving work.
CAUSE AND EFFECT REVIEW BY High Bias
The name may not be familiar to most rock fans, but Human Drama has been around for more than a decade, diligently building albums around leader Johnny Indovina's finely-crafted songs. While the band has been identified with Goth for most of its career, there's far more to Indovina's vision than that; widescreen arena rock/pop, introspective singer/songwriters and even Broadway showtunes feel just as important. Cause and Effect, the quintet's tenth album, is a powerful display of its charms. Human Drama makes the most of the latter part of its name; this is unabashedly theatrical rock music, unafraid to use melodrama to get its emotional point across. Most of the thrust comes from Indovina, of course. His songs valiantly take on relationship issues as if working the kinks out of a difficult romance holds the same importance as wrangling the details of an anti-aggression treaty between two world superpowers ("Why did we fall?/Was it just the human curse we failed to beat" he sings in "Goodnight Sweetheart"), and his tuneful warble is the perfect medium for his message. It helps that his band can easily follow him down whatever musical path he chooses to travel, being equally adept at driving rock ("About Michelle"), dark meditations ("Quiet Desperation"), theatrical tone poems ("Lonely"), even country ("The Mystery," though the cover of Guy Clark and Emmylou Harris' "Bang the Drum Slowly" is delivered as atmospheric pop). But the heart of the record and the band is the big, dramatic midtempo ballads; "The Battle," "I Am Not Here" and "Cynthia's Journal" make the strongest case of the power of both Indovina as a singer/songwriter and the band as an artistic enterprise. Not too many combos could create a song with a title like "Madame Hate's Mad Search For Love" and get away with it. Indovina's only real weakness is a tendency to let his songs ramble on a bit longer than they should, but that's hardly a major gripe. Cause and Effect is quite simply a great record by a band that deserves wider renown.
CAUSE AND EFFECT REVIEW BY Scaruffi
Basically a concept on Love (the universal idea) and sexual relationships (the imperfect, earthly implementation), Cause And Effect (Projekt, 2002) is a stately, at time magniloquent, recapitulation of Indovina's lyrical and musical themes, this time devoid of any gothic overtone. Both the arrangements and the execution are impeccable. The production is loud and crisp. The melodies are consistently captivating without being trivial. While Indovina is no Jim Morrison or Nick Cave, his delivery is persuasive and sympathetic.
The album includes three of his best cover songs ever: his voice injects an overdose of Leonard Cohen-ian mournful tenderness into Emmylou Harris' Bang The Drum Slowly, over martial drums and female whispers; then dips the mediterranean aria of Lonely into the smoky atmosphere of a cabaret, replete with Brech-Weill cabaret piano (but so assertive that it threatens to explode in a Beethoven sonata); and closes the album with Leonard Cohen's Dance Me To The End Of Love.
That magic is not matched by the other songs, but the rousing, anthemic, fast-paced I Am Not Here, that soars over a joyful instrumental bacchanal (sounding like a more sinister Julian Cope), the catchy vocal refrain and punchy guitar riff of Goodnight Sweetheart , the decadent aria of Madame Hate's Mad Search For Love (borrowed from the first Velvet Underground album), the majestic The Mystery (harking back to Bob Dylan's Blonde On Blonde), are as canonical as Schubert's lieder. Indovina's exploitation of formulas of country (Look At Me Now ) and blues (Quiet Desperation ) are no less effective.
The only drawback is a number of frivolous selections towards the end, that perhaps were not necessary to fullfil this album's mission. Carefully avoiding the tired cliches of pop music, Indovina tends to his emotional wasteland with the proud sensitivity of a priest.