18th Dye - Amorine Queen

I can’t say I ever expected another album from the German/Danish based trio 18th Dye, considering they broke up roughly a decade ago. Back in the early to mid 90’s the group of noise makers released a couple albums (1992’s Done and 1995’s magnificent A Tribute to a Bus) and an EP (1995’s Crayon), all of which eventually made it to the USA thanks in part to Matador Records.

Originally when the band reformed in 2005 I figured it would be for some live shows and then it would be history all over again. However, as seems to be the case more and more lately a simple small reunion for a few gigs ends up turning into something a bit more, like in the form of a new album. As is the case for 18th Dye, whom after their lengthy hiatus have returned this year on the Danish label Crunchy Frog with their new album Amorine Queen. It’s actually been out for awhile overseas and from what I can tell is getting an official release here in the states on September 9th despite it still being readily available online from various stores.

Those familiar with 18th Dye and their past albums probably won’t be disappointed with this new effort as it touches upon practically every aspect that made the band so appealing in the 90’s. Their take of fuzzed out pop is in full force throughout Amorine Queen while also fleshing it out a bit in the production department. I can’t say I am a big fan of the vocoder use on the track “Chinese Spoon”; however it’s not entirely distracting. Never fear though, this still serves every bit as a blast from the past for fans of prime nineties indie-rock.

18th Dye – Go ‘n’ Go [MP3]

For those interested in picking up the new album from 18th Dye, it’s available from Crunchy Frog or Amazon. Definitely pick this up if you like what you hear. They’re a great band and a talented bunch of musicians that deserve every bit of attention thrown their way.