Album review: Feeding Fingers - Wound In Wall

★★★
Album released 2007
Review by DJ De Ville:

I was first introduced to dark wave band Feeding Fingers, after seeing a short film by vocalist Justin Curfman entitled Zugskin.
It's after watching his films that you understand the surrealist lyrical compositions behind the songs (made originally as soundtracks) which would later make up the debut album Wound In Wall.

The album starts with 'Mouth Filled With Sand' a track that is similar in sound of The Cure track 'Lullaby' in bass lines and keyboards. Curfman's voice cries out like a mixture of Robert Smith and Gary Numan in his early punk days. It's followed by a simplistic acoustic arrangement 'A Bag of Broken Hands' which is reminiscent of the Bauhaus classic 'All We Ever Wanted Was Everything'.

A range of effects and heavy echoes on Curfman's distorted vocal ranges lead well through to the title track 'Feeding Fingers' with it's perfect combination of organs and slow paced guitar feedback.
Two instrumental tracks 'Theme For a Saw Tooth Hula Hoop' and 'This is Yours' are equally dark and beautiful in their own way, the latter I could easily imagine being included in the video game Silent Hill.
'Manufactured Missing Children' and 'Where Mimes Come to Say Goodbye' are also stand outs and continue the dark journey through the album with the lyrics:

Facedown in the snow
And broken ice
I removed my mind
So that I could always
Always
Be wrong

My favourite song would be the final on the album: 'Fireflies Make Us Sick', which sounds the most polished of all 14 tracks. With a pounding drum rhythm and pronounced simplistic vocals, it's a perfect choice to end the album on, and one of those songs you want to keep on repeat, even with the dark surreal lyrics:

I don't care how you got in here
With this jar full of fireflies
Just let me crush and smear
Their glowing asses
Across your mouth

And when I turn out this light

I only want to see your face
Coming closer
To kiss me
Until the smell of this
Makes us sick

Wound In Wall is must listen for fans of The Cure (especially the albums Pornography, and even Disintegration), Joy Division and Echo & The Bunnymen. Overall a prominent debut album, although you can hear the inspirations it's not at all a copy, more an experimental follow on.

Fireflies Make Us Sick:

More info: www.feedingfingers.com