When you find yourself listening to a song which was written to sate a “desire to ‘reconsecrate’ 16th Century Hungarian countess and noblewoman Elisabeth Bathory,” then you know that you have stumbled across something a bit more interesting that most of the things doing the rounds at the moment. Not all songs have to be about girls and cars (and we know a song about that don’t we, from a band which sound like they would have made perfect musical allies if only the timeframe was different) and despite Nick Hudson’s more considered choice of subject matter, it just goes to show that even a subject more usually the realm of academia can be a good catalyst for a great pop song.
For this is essentially a pop song, after all it has a wonderful immediacy, a soothing melody, an easy groove and a sing along quality that might be unexpected given its subject matter. Usually the territory of the goths and metallers, The Academy of Sun turn all of that dark energy into a witty and pun ladened slice of perky pop, which will probably annoy a few of the creatures of the night but will be greeted by the rest of us with everything from a wry smile to unrepressed laughter. And for all the right reasons.
So what is next? Joan of Arc the disco years? I’d buy that…without a moment’s hesitation.
