Five years ago, when the Boston Phoenix unveiled its Top 100 Goth Songs of All Time, there was a heavy focus on the bat-rock post-punk of the late’70s and early-’80s. It’s where the panel, assembled to cultivate the list, gravitated towards, and while critics voiced displeasure with the lack of the more ethereal and folk side of goth’s origin period, that certain darkened sound of ripped basslines and punk abandon clearly stood the test of time.
“Love in the Shadows”, the debut song from a new Boston band called Cindel, pulls from that same inspiration, connecting the forever undead sounds of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Echo and the Bunnymen, and even some Christian Death (without the racism) with modern flairs of glam and Britpop. Cindel’s musical DNA can be easily found in its members, who frequent stages around town in bands like the Daily Pravda and Lifestyle.
“I wrote the melody to ‘Love in the Shadows’ last Halloween, after a month of intensely practicing Trainspotting songs for our Halloween set,” says frontman David Jackel. “[Guitarist] Adam [Anderson] and I got together a few days before last Christmas to track demos for roughly 12 songs that could become either Pravda or something new, and this batch turned into something new… Between [everyone] we’ve got three synthesizer players. Adam plays synth sometimes, too. Maybe we’ll do a one-off synth only show.”
Live dates are still far off on the horizon. In the meantime, drown in the sound of the season below, and appreciate the Kenner-era Star Wars-themed single packaging below.
