We suspected it a little, but it's sad to have to find confirmation of the doubts raised by the acclaimed 2023 album by the ex-vocalist and leader of Duke Spirit, Liela Moss. The coordinates dictated by “Internal Working Model” have not actually changed, but the game definitely shows its rope and the synth-pop of the English author is a riot of aesthetically captivating sounds, an art-pop and electronic formula that is all too composed, with injections of trip-hop (“Conditional Love”) and dream-pop impulses (“Conditional Love”) that never go beyond what is permissible.
Pale imitations of the dark magic of Tricky (“Blue”) and Massive Attack (“Sticky”, “Freedom Likes Goodbye”) allow a precise and easy stylistic placement, without adding much to what has already been experienced and heard.
“Transparent Eyeball” is an album that still exudes skill and awareness. Five albums with Duke Spirit and three solo albums are a considerable artistic baggage, which Liela Moss puts to good use by reconciling abrasive tones with polished sounds immersed in a feverish darkness, with sometimes appreciable results.
The hip-hop/deep house trait contaminated by oriental sounds of “Prism” and the pulsating touch of the bass of the sensual and diabolical “Dark Kitchens” give more than one emotion, but soon become clicheand the artist's dark electronic art-pop gives way to overly heavy tones.
“Transparent Eyeball” confirms the strengths and weaknesses of Liela Moss' solo adventure. A record which, although marking a step backwards in the career of the English artist, will certainly find followers among fans of Gary Numan and Ultravox.
03/11/2024
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
