‘Ghettoville’ is an uneasy listening experience, especially on headphones, but Darren Cunningham’s fourth album as Actress soon blossoms into a record that adds a little more light to its shade as it runs. Initially the quasi-industrial soundscapes are bleak and very dank, the beats rendering early tracks like ‘Forgiven’ and ‘Corner’ frustrating, slow motion experiences, especially when the dark vocals are taken into account. There are very strong elements of Cabaret Voltaire here, and the whole experience is rather disquieting. And if anyone can work out what is being said or sung in ‘Contagious’, I’d love to hear! Gradually, though, the album warms up, and the loping beat of ‘Rims’ has a sound that is like doves cooing that is quite charming. Faster tracks such as the softly voiced ‘Birdcage’ and the more pumped up ‘Image’ encourage the listener their dancing shoes may well be needed after all, providing some much needed light amid the gloom – which means that if you listen to the whole album there is an eventual sense of balance. ‘Ghettoville’ requires a bit of work on the part of the listener, but the rewards are there in the end.
5 out of 5
Reviewed By Ben Hogwood
