Tropic of Cancer’s music is pure atmosphere. While her music may have more in common with Darkwave than French Coldwave, it gives me a similar feeling to the latter, and it can’t be denied that they share a similar sense of aesthetics. She does list Coldwave as an influence, even if it is a small one, and anyway, I don’t want to limit myself to focusing solely on Coldwavers here, but also on musicians from related genres. Recently, there seems to have been a whole wave of new artists making music inspired by Post-Punk, and a lot of it tends to appeal to fans of Coldwave. Some are so-so, but many are just as good as their predecessors, and it would be a shame not to take a look at them, too.
Camella Lobo is like Zola Jesus’ dark twin. In some ways, they are inversions of each other, despite their similarities. (They even look alike.) Both make elegant pop music with a Goth feel that is simultaneously organic and cosmopolitan, and both have an excellent fashion sense. They also seem to share a fondness for minimalism, and their music always sounds youthful, even if it is quite aloof. However, while Lobo appears to favour Romanticism, Zola Jesus veers more towards Enlightenment. Both make sounds that come from different parts of the same city. While Zola Jesus’ music is the detached whiteness of art galleries and train stations, Tropic of Cancer creates the warmer sounds of flats, empty rooms and gardens. They compliment each other well.
Tropic of Cancer’s songs are some of the subtlest I’ve ever heard. I love music that I can listen and forget it’s even music, which is often the case with her. There’s no rock and roll silliness to be found, just a wash of warm blackness, like she managed to steal the mood from a David Lynch film. Her first album, Restless Idylls, is a lot like The Cure’s Faith, only more indistinct in form. If you’re fond of nocturnal murmurs, then you should definitely listen to her.
While her music may be full of gloomth, Lobo doesn’t take herself too seriously, and even plans to make happier music in future. Despite the obvious joy she takes in the poetic side of sadness, it looks like Tropic of Cancer will successfully avoid a surplus of angst. She even plans on writing some happy songs in the future, which I’m looking forward to. The darkness is always fun, but straying into the light every so often can keep things from becoming stagnant.
