Review. NAEVUS - Curses (2018). Dark, strong and unique

The album was recorded between 2014 and 2016. Its songs are very strong, both in music and texts.

NAEVUS has its unique sound: sometimes it sounds like neofolk (THE PIT), sometimes like SWANS, sometimes like MAGAZINE, but it is not. It is NAEVUS style - after many albums and collaborations with other great musicians it is already one of the best acts ever in the world of experimental/dark music.

Also, as always, great artwork of NAEVUS's CD digipak.

10 from 10. Great work done. A masterpiece of darkness.

Lloyd James

Naevus ‎– Curses
Label: Old Europa Cafe ‎– OECD 253, Wooden Lung ‎– WL013
Format: CD, Album, Limited Edition

1     The Wall In The Sun

    Music By – Ben McLees, Lloyd JamesWords By – Lloyd James

    4:33
2     Dead Man Circling

    Music By – Ben McLees, Lloyd JamesWords By – Lloyd James

    4:58
3     Abacus

    Music By – Albin Julius, Ben McLees, Lloyd JamesWords By – Lloyd James

    3:36
4     Heart Fell Foul

    Music By – Timo VäänänenWords By – Lloyd James

    3:01
5     Aria/Acqua

    Music By – Ben McLees, Lloyd JamesWords By – Lloyd James

    4:47
6     Curses

    Music By – Lloyd JamesWords By – Lloyd James

    5:58
7     The Pit

    Music By – Ben McLees, Lloyd JamesWords By – Lloyd James

    4:13
8     Odour

    Music By – Ben McLees, Lloyd JamesWords By – Lloyd James

    4:22
9     Surface

    Music By – Ben McLees, Lloyd JamesWords By – Lloyd James

    4:51
Companies, etc.

    Recorded At – Disconnected Music
    Produced At – Disconnected Music
    Mixed At – Disconnected Music
    Mastered At – Retina2 Studios
    Recorded At – Wooden Lung

Credits

    Acoustic Guitar – Ben McLees (tracks: 1, 6), Lloyd James (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 9)
    Bass – Ben McLees (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7 to 9), Lloyd James (tracks: 6)
    Design, Layout – Ro'n
    E-Bow [EBow Guitar] – Ben McLees (tracks: 7), Peter Yates (tracks: 2)
    Electric Guitar – Ben McLees
    Graphics [Graphical Assistance By] – Esmeralda Munoz-Torrero*
    Handclaps – Ben McLees (tracks: 8)
    Kazoo – Ben McLees (tracks: 6)
    Mastered By – Hunter Barr
    Painting [Cover] – Jama Adilov
    Percussion – Ben McLees (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 8, 9)
    Photography By [Painting] – Alla Sol
    Producer [Produced By], Mixed By – Ben McLees
    Programmed By – Ben McLees (tracks: 2, 3, 5 to 9), Lloyd James (tracks: 6)
    Programmed By [String Sounds] – Hunter Barr (tracks: 5)
    Recorded By – Ben McLees, Lloyd James
    Recorded By [EBow Guitar Recorded By] – Peter Yates (tracks: 2)
    Recorded By [Field Recordings Made By] – Lloyd James (tracks: 1, 5, 6, 8)
    Sounds – Ben McLees (tracks: 6)
    Sounds [Vacuum Cleaner] – Ben McLees (tracks: 6)
    Synth – Ben McLees, Lloyd James (tracks: 2)
    Violin – Ben McLees (tracks: 1, 6, 9)
    Voice – Alla Sol (tracks: 4, 8), Ben McLees (tracks: 2 to 5, 7 to 9), Lloyd James

Notes
Recorded by Lloyd James at Wooden Lung and Ben McLees at Disconnected in 2014 and 2016. EBow guitar in Dead Man Circling recorded by Peter Yates in 2014.
Field recordings made by Lloyd James in Leipzig, Athens and London.
Produced and mixed at Disconnected in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
Mastered at Retina 2 in 2016.

All material © 2017.

Limited edition of 300 copies.
Released in a 4-panel Digipak with a transparent tray; no booklet, no lyrics.

https://www.facebook.com/naevusuk

Albums:

Truffles of Love (Wooden Lung, 1999/Old Europa Cafe, 2008)
Soil (SPKR, 2001/Old Europa cafe, 2012)
Behaviour (Operative, 2002)
Perfection is a Process (Old Europa Cafe/Operative, 2004)
Silent Life (Hau Ruck!/Tesco, 2007)
Relatively Close to the Sea (Hau Ruck!/Tesco, 2008)
The Division of Labour (Hau Ruck!/Klanggalerie, 2012)
Curses (Wooden Lung/Old Europa Cafe 2018)

EPs:

Sail Away (Hau Ruck!, 2003)
The Body Speaks (Hau Ruck!, 2004)
Go Grow (Hau Ruck!, 2008)
Days that Go (Hau Ruck!, 2010)
Backsaddling (4iB, 2014)

Compilations:

Stations (Tourette, 2013)
Others (Tourette, 2013)

Live album:

Appetite and Application (Klanggalerie, 2014)

Split releases:

This is not Failure (with Leisure Hive and Womb) (no label, 1999)
Document Three (with KnifeLadder) (Terra Fria, 2004)
Bedtime/Badtime (with Spiritual Front) (Old Europa Cafe, 2005)
Music Box 2008 (with Rose McDowall and SonVer) (Dagaz Music, 2008)