puce mary: the spiral

The Spiral is Puce Mary's third LP for Posh Isolation. It follows where 2014's critically acclaimed Persona left off. Working more precisely than ever, The Spiral binds the listener in a tight web of sharp synthesizers, hammering percussion, obscured vocals, field recordings, and blistering noise. Intimidatingly personal, though never allowing the introspection to become aimless, Puce Mary manages to honor the history of industrial music and noise while simultaneously transforming it. The Spiral is harsh, but the aggression of the compositions never feels unnecessarily overstated or irrelevant. As the feverish sexuality of The Spiral comes into focus as the album's cornerstone, the exertion of the recording is problematized and turns errant. The vestige of safety in dominance and submission is antagonized as audience and artist take turns being dealt blows. The Spiral charts this instability as a perennial tonic in sound. With an already impressive discography and live career, Puce Mary has manifested herself as a key voice in new experimental electronic music. This album is further proof that she has earned her praise.