Scarling - Sweet Heart Dealer


The sound of the end of the world. That's how Robert Smith described the 2004 LP from Scarling., Sweet Heart Dealer. Mark Deming gave it the kiss of death over at Allmusic by saying this is pretty good and "they have potential." Potential to flame out like 95% of all bands. I assume the Sweet Heart Dealer is just a former candy store owner who's been gentrified/property taxed out of his bodega and has a trench coat full of poorly tailored pockets filled with actual stale candy. 

Scarling is supposedly a former Noise Pop band from LA that is now only a Noise Pop duo from LA. This was clearly the height of their marketability as far as The Cure was concerned, so i'm not too worried. I'll love it, you'll hate it, normal stuff, let's twirl. I should also mention, this was not an out of nowhere random band, this is the band Jessicka formed after Jack Off Jill broke up. Musically speaking she hasn't done much over the last decade. Who has, honestly? Mastodon, Seether every 3 years for some bizarre reason i still don't understand, Rock isn't dead it just isn't anywhere close to the singles market of the modern mainstream. This gloomy goth ballerina might cheer me up, though, assuming she's the concept. 

'Scuse me while i pick my jaw back up off the floor. Robert Smith was right, it is cacophonous, it is chaotic, it's what Chelsea Wolf would become 6 years later. All over the place, from borderline industrial doom to gothy shoegaze and super grungy alt-rock. One moment it's Riot Grrrl, the next it's a soaking wet sludge vat of post-punk psychedelia. It will kick you in the kidneys then wrap you in an ocean blanket of dappled blue sunlight while doing sensual knife tricks with Sweeny Todd's razors in the moonlight. Intoxicatingly terrifying, yet beautifully disheveled. You would have to be insane to not go order a copy of this collection worthy mopetastrophe for the 10 dollars and change it costs. Crushing fuzz, songs about terrible stuff, loud and punishing, a real treat of all-consuming gloom and free-wheeling confidence. Do your self a favor and check it out.

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