Nervous Curtains: Fake Infinity
Led by Sean Kirkpatrick of Spoon and Paper Chase, Nervous Curtains consists purely of two piano/synth players and a drummer. The band’s name gives the impression of a jittery band specializing in songs of desperation but on Fake Inifity the band does not quite live up to the name. The band instead is a constant experiment in how to make post-punk without the use of guitar.
The experiment starts off pretty well. “Moody Photos” is a strong opener with one musician playing a distorted synth to give the impression of a lead guitar part while the other musician plays a traditional piano underneath. Melodically the song sounds like the derranged cousin of Tears For Fears‘ “Everybody Wants To Rule the World,” with strikingly similar choruses but very different pathos.
Later in Fake Infinity, things do get significantly more Tears For Fears-y. “Something Sinister” is a power ballad featuring one musician utilizing synth strings while the other uses a similar synth sound as early Mates of State. “Letter of Resignation” is a more traditional with piano playing the main instrument and wispy strings setting the backdrop.
Although the slightly more tame songs do give the audience a different perspective on the band, it is clearly not their strong suit. The band sounds most at home making post-punk out non-traditional instruments. While I can not help but feel the band is some sort of novelty, there is enough talent there to make Fake Infinity an interesting listen if nothing else.
Rating: 6.7/10
Buy: iTunes or Insound! vinyl
