The recent Bauhaus tour caused many of their fans to reexamine the talent within that seminal goth band, which broke up in the early '80s after a brief, shining moment in the sun. Singer Peter Murphy went on to a successful solo career, and the rest of the group -- David J, Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins -- reformed as Love and Rockets. After a long hibernation the band has released "Lift," a recording that expands their boundaries while retaining all of their '80s sensibilities.
The art-rock trio have refined their production skills on this follow-up to the ambient techno of 1994's "Hot Trip to Heaven," but they continue in an experimental direction. Even though the band has delved heavily into electronica, almost every track contains David J's fretless bass and Daniel Ash's acid-rock guitar. "R.I.P. 20 C." is a stunning take on drum & bass, while "Deep Deep Down" features Ash's spacious vocals and hypnotic drum loops, and eventually erupts into a series of feedback freak-outs. "Lift" is not about jumping on the electronica bandwagon, but rather another step in the evolution of Love and Rockets.
