Track Listing: A Walk in the Dark, I Won’t Look Back, Kiss These Chains, Evaluate, Fade to Black, OK This is the Pops, Sinister Ways, On the Run, Heute Abend Ist Schon, The Holy Hypocrite.

Orpheos (not to be confused with the 1960s band Orpheus), is quick to point out he is one man and the sounds we hear are all his and nobody else’s. The sonic textures on this album are rich, although often simple. While some organic instrumentation is present, most of it is muted in favor synthesizers and step sequencers, which no doubt simplify Orpheos’ job.

The man himself has a very familiar sounding voice that will please fans of David Bowie and the like. His crooning style lends well to the music, creating a nice synergy. In the end, the tapestry created here is often paced well for the average gothic dancer, but mellow enough for the couch tripper to zone out to.

For more information, check out the web site or their Myspace Page.

Track Listing: Hear & Believe, If You’re in Love With Me, Looking for More, I’m A Stranger, In Your Empty Sky, Let the Worm Seize the Day, The Pig That I Am, Skin Stuck to Bone, What Did I Lose?, For A Better Life.

From the Top of My Tree gets off to a rough start. “Hear & Believe” has some tones in it that are irritating to say the least. The exploratory electronic style The Bodies Obtained employs works sometimes more in their favor than others. Their avant garde approach that often rejects standard timing renders it pretty much undanceable, but fans of bands like The Residents may very well enjoy the always present vocals that keep several tracks from derailing completely. It’s easy to get lost listening to From the Top of My Tree, because it can be so spacious at times, but it is intriguing.

For more information, check out their Myspace Page.

Track Listing: Diorama, Worlds, Feathers, Wires, Panorama, Wonderful Things, Collecting Stones, Invisible, Move Along, Sleepwalking, High and Low.

There’s too much to love about Cranes not to, so if you haven’t gotten on the bandwagon yet, this is your chance. Following in the footsteps of others like The Cure, Cranes gives us a self-titled album well into the maturity of their career, but that’s OK. It is an album that stands on its own.

Cranes is a bit more minimalist than some of their previous albums and Alison Shaw’s childlike voice keeps the tone dreamy and saccharine sweet. The tracks that made it onto the album are conspicuously missing the dirgy guitar riffs that peppered early releases like Wings of Joy, but it definitely feels like a Cranes album, which is a really good thing. At a time when a lot of older bands are adjusting to be more pop and ending up more flop, it’s nice to hear an old school band still doing what they do best.

For more information, check out their web site or their Myspace Page.

Track Listing: Through the Shadows, Wandering on Cobble Hills, Silver Lakes, Prague, Wish Power, Waltz, Twins, In The Golden Cage, Newdance, Trance, Primordial Call, Sogno Tribale.

The Spiritual Bat blend traditional gothic rock sounds with a bit of folk to create an interesting blend that sometimes rocks and other times more glides along. Powerful female vocals are a nice touch for this band, as more often the singers (there are different people on different tracks) opt for less dreamy vocal deliveries. The inclusion of a flautist on multiple tracks adds a very pleasant dimension to Through the Shadows that I rather enjoyed. There’s nothing here for the dance floor, but it is a solid album and I look forward to hearing more from them.

For more information, check out their Myspace Page.