The Foxglove Hunt- 'Built My Fortress' EP (2009)

The Foxglove Hunt is a neo- New Wave duo consisting of Rob Withem (former frontman of Christian indie/post punk band Fine China) and Ronnie Martin (the one man synth pop machine behind Joy Electric). Carving out a niche unto themselves in a little bizzaro world where 1983 found a young Morrissey forgoing the Smiths to front New Order, Foxglove Hunt quickly found themselves near the top of my 'must listen' list last year. The two have recently returned with a follow-up EP to their full-length debut 'Stop Heartbeat,' consisting of two previously import-only tracks, a new song, and three "mixes" of stuff from the debut.

'Built My Fortress' follows the same forumula explored on their 2008 debut: catchy song structures featuring lush vocal melodies that would make Morrissey blush, irresistable New Order-esque choruses, all wrapped up beautifully(in the band's own words) "using the latest technology from 1983." The first song, 'The Time Redeem,' continues Withem's idiosyncratic penchant for mixing Christian spirituality with impenetrable yet whimsical new wave poesy; musically, it could almost be New Order's 'Theives Like Us' meets 'A Concealed Weapon, part deux,' with the drum machines, lush synthesizer strings, and Ronnie Martin's pristine programming. 'Alone and You Like It' and 'A Building Collapsing' follow the same pattern, nicely complimenting the debut CD, but lacking the power of something like 'Life Highrise' or ' The Pure in Heart.'

As far as the mixes go, well... I didn't care much for the piano mix of 'A Concealed Weapon'- it was good, but lost was the fun and urgency of the 'Stop Heartbeat' version. The other two are a different story- I thought they were really great all around because they sound like they easily could have fit on Fine China's 'You Make Me Hate Music' or 'Jaws of Life' albums, showcasing Withem's talent for writing maudlin Smiths/Echo & the Bunnymen dirges with all the catchiness of a Robert Smith circa 1986. 'That's Getting Personal' comes off like a track from 'Hatful of Hollow,' and it is here that Withem's breathy, lush vocal tones revel in full-on Morrissey worship. The 'rock mix' of 'It's Not Effective' explores more indepth what was only implied in the original version- a post-punk rocker in the vein of 'Charlotte Sometimes' that would not be out of place on Fine China's 'When the World Sings.'

In conclusion, 'Built My Fortress' is a pretty nifty CD, packed with the same catchy choruses and amazing drum machine handclaps you found yourself in withdrawal from if you went without listening to 'Stop Heartbeat' for more than two days. Fans of this synth pop duo will be more than pleased, and it's also great because it showcases a different side to some of the cooler tracks on 'Stop Heartbeat.' It's well worth a purchase- but will it keep us satiated until the next Foxglove Hunt full length?

Recently released on DVD, Control is a movie well worth a look for fans of post-punk.

What follows will be a few of my thoughts on Anton Corbijn's feature film debut, Control. Based on Touching From a Distance, Deborah Curtis' book about her life with Ian Curtis, Control depicts the life of the late Joy Division frontman (Sam Reilly gives a fantastic performance, and even sang the songs in the movie) from his beginnings as a glam-rock crazed teenager to his death at 23. Watching the film, one is immediately struck by how iconic Corbijn portrays Curtis- one need only take a cursory glance at several of the shots throughout the film to get the picture: Ian Curtis as the sorrowful young Werther, forever frozen behind glass in his poetry and tragedy. He is almost godlike in how he is shot. The visual messages are all the more striking in the black and white Corbijn uses as his media.
I found this film, unfortunately, quite empty in places. Devoid of real passion or emotion, the bleakness turns to downright boredom in spots. The actors portraying the rest of the band do an admirable job, but at 2 hours, the film seems paradoxically too long and too short at the same time. Too many key moments in the band's career are either short-changed or passed over, while a couple of key dramatic scenes just drag. However, this is not necessarily Corbijn's intention: this is a film about Ian Curtis, not the band. The key is internal drama and pathos, not the nuances of Joy Division itself.
Despite its flaws, 'Control' is hardly a bad film- far from it. Fans of Joy Division will enjoy it based on the soundtrack and passionate >performances alone. The ending of this film sent the wrong message: a bleak shot of a Manchester sky as Corbijn deifies Curtis, and perhaps romanticizes his tragic end. I wouldn't call Control a total success, but it is an admirable first outing for Corbijn.