Aesthetic Perfection, ‘Til Death

Aesthetic Perfection ‘Til Death                                                                             Metropolis Records                                                                             11 February 2014
Aesthetic Perfection’s Daniel Graves is not one to allow himself or his music to stagnate. Every release has shown an artistic growth and a fearless approach to songwriting. The result is something all too rare in music, where an artist has developed a unique, recognizable sound, without falling into the trappings of clichéd formulaic songwriting. On the new album, ‘Til Death, we find an act exploring the artistic freedom that comes with no longer being willing to answer to anyone but himself.
Leading up to this new record, we saw the release of three drastically different singles, “Antibody,” “The Dark Half,” and “Big Bad Wolf”. In true AP fashion, taken individually, none of the singles give the listener more than an inkling of what to expect from the full LP. But when taken as a whole, the three singles encapsulate the essence of what to expect from ‘Til Death. Beautiful, haunting and eclectic.
Whether it be the IAMX-tinged swagger of “Showtime,” the eerie, almost Depeche Mode vocal patterns of “Lovesick” or the hook-laden dark pop of “Oh, Gloria!,” ‘Til Death shows Graves at his diverse best.