Love & Regret [Clear Vinyl]

Los Angeles based Cold Showers would fit comfortably within the dusty catalog of Factory Records if their shimmering reinterpretations of post-punk didn't give away their continuous, refreshing progression towards rock singularity. Their debut full-length is a focused sonic assault that borrows a great deal from Joy Division, early Interpol, and A Place to Bury Strangers to create just under 35 minutes of tastefully restrained post-punk. From the pulsing opener, "Alight," to the shimmering, highly danceable finale, "Seminary," the entire album projects a series of sometimes familiar, always unsettling, images. These eight tracks have a purposeful, soiled quality that will leave listeners feeling more than a little guilty. While most of this music has a minimal, industrial feel, it is full of dark, sensual moments that would play well as a soundtrack to the gritty romance of downtown L.A. Lead single "Violent Cries" is a clear highpoint with submerged vocals delivered with cold desperation that build to a grand, ominous climax. Love and Regret is a tantalizing first step from a group that has all the right influences and hopefully will continue to build on them with fresh, new ideas.