Beauty Queen Autopsy - Lotharia

You know, this week has been good to me on Brutal. Earlier in the week I discovered V▲LH▲LL's latest remix album, found out about Of Tanz Victims' debut vinyl reissue, and reviewed two really, really great albums from both Ego Likeness and PreEmptive Strike 0.1. I found myself thinking before I began to write this out, "What could really make this week end with a bang?" Beauty Queen Autopsy. This project is what is making my week end on a huge positive note. 

To make a brief introduction, BQA is the combination of Matt Fanale (infamously known for Caustic) and Erica Mulkey (whose lovely voice you've heard from Unwoman). Both of these upright human beings released their first EP back in 2014, titled "Good, Giving, Game". After harnessing such warm reception and having a successful Kickstarter campaign, it was only a matter of time before their debut album would come to fruition. And, ladies and gentleman, stand back, because I'm going to pull the curtains back to present to you "Lotharia". 

If I can really describe this album to anyone who has been following BQA from the beginning, I would have to say that everything you thought you knew about them is pretty much flipped upside down. The simplistic but fascinating rhythm and lyrical delivery found within 'Good, Giving, Game' relatively remains the same (enhanced with a few new sounds), and also serves as "Lotharia"'s starting song. But following that, multiple surprises will await you around every corner you lurk. 

'Spread', the second track on the album, is able to really show a completely different personality to BQA. Coming off the bouncy, electronic EBM of the previous track, 'Spread' brings out filthy and crunchy industrial sounds balanced out well with Mulkey's now sick and dirty sounding vocals. 

However, skip down two tracks to 'Dorothy Parker Had Days Like This', and a gorgeous piano based ballad awaits you. Mulkey's delivery transforms more into spoken word than anything, but you'll be hard pressed to find anything wrong with how the track unfolds. I didn't mean to skip over the previous track, 'Contaminate Me (Dirty Thoughts)', as the track has some wonderfully done drum work, and also comes off with a sort of neo-noir vibe to it. 

The slower moving 'Birthday Pony' is one of the brighter and light hearted tracks on the album, while 'Methadone' brings us back to a purposefully filthy sound. The title track, 'Lotharia' gives a wonderful build up into a pretty speedy electronic beat. 'Pumps' brings in a fucking awesome lo-fi guitar effect, and Mulkey's chords get into a sort of punk vibe with an echo attached to it. 

Now, let me take a bit of time to tell you my love for 'The Taxidermist'. The charming music behind the song really serves as a cover for the lyrics that are spit out. This plays out like a track that a serial killer would sing as they murder their tied down victim without any anesthetic. And, perhaps it was this imagery and ironic pleasant sound that made me love the song so God damned much. 

With 'Petit Mort', wicked synth work comes into play giving it some synthpop styling that's fused with industrial beats. And then 'We Libertines' plays out, which is just another wonderfully done, lo-fi sounding industrial love song that unraveled before me. Finally, 'The Devil You Don't' inquire the thoughts of a sadistic and mentally wrecking sexual partner in an affair. If Mulkey doesn't land a role in a movie, or at least voice acting for an animated villain, I will be pretty disappointed. 

And, when the album stopped playing and I was left sitting alone with just my thoughts in the silence, I couldn't help but replay the whole entire thing again. And again. In order to suck in everything that these two had accomplished took me so many replays of the album, and I am absolutely floored by the hard and work and dedication Fanale and Mulkey have poured into "Lotharia". 

I mean, with "Lotharia" you are not just getting a bunch of similar sounding tracks that all base themselves out of similarly structured foundations and beats; each track is crafted with love and dedication. This is a precision effort to make sure that not one track comes off too linear compared to the next. When you think you're on the same road, BQA quickly derails that and brings you onto a new, fun, and quirky path. And I really wouldn't have it any other way. 

Also, feel free to take a gander at BQA's video for 'Spread', which originally premiered by the lovely folks at Rock Revolt Magazine, located below: 


Jun 27 2015