--Majesty, Claire Voyant
(Victoria Lloyd, Chris Ross, Ben Fargen)
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| The pain of this illusion comforts me --Majesty, Claire Voyant |
Claire Voyant (Victoria Lloyd, Chris Ross, Ben Fargen) |
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"Claire Voyant is the
powerful trio combining the talents of Victoria Lloyd, Chris Ross, and Ben
Fargen. Hailing from Northern California, they make amazingly beautiful music
that defies description and classification. Their music is emotional and rich
with an intense honesty both in the music and the lyrics. Since their debut
release in 1995, the band has worked their way to becoming one of the most
prominent bands in the darkwave/gothic genre..."
-- Summer Bowman, charlottesometimes.com
 1995:Claire Voyant"Another debut from the Heavenly Voices series has reached us recently. As opposed to the classic oriented Ophelia's Dream, the Americans of Claire Voyant use guitar, drums and synthesizer melodies to orchestrate their quiet, atmospheric songs. The result reminds me of the somewhat better known acts of Projekt label, as, for instance, Love Spirals Downwards or black tape for a blue girl. Claire Voyant can easily hold its own with these big names. Containing all told nine wonderful little song-pearls, this record is an excellent background for typical fall and winter activities; a little source of joy for those who are freezing, a spot of light in the early darkness and a companion at a solitary spiced wine tasting"
-- Equinoxe
½ 1998:
Time and the Maiden "A fragile, forlorn and yet hopeful beauty is at the heart of the richly textured second release by Claire Voyant. The music is gothic tinged, but is embellished with more color than the prerequisite black, as well as an elastic, melodic, lush sense of mood--an ambience of simmering fires, of cooling embers under a star speckled canopy of mystery and wonder. Of course, the key element in the Claire Voyant bag of tricks would have to be Victoria Lloyd¹s smooth, oil on burnished steel vocals, vocals that sing as well as design: they slither like wisps of smoke into and around the melodies, before blossoming into clouds that shield the moon¹s inquisitive glare, demanding one¹s undeterred attention; she is as much a part of the music as she is a vocal focus without, never just an ethereal backdrop. "Mercy" is highlighted by crying slide guitars that despondently glide past the moon¹s now furrowed brow glare; a dramatic, dark synth swell aligns "Majesty" with, well, majestic underpinnings; the title track is languid and timeless, Victoria¹s melting dreams' vocals absolutely mesmerizing."
-- JC Smith, Voltage Magazine
2000: Time and Again 'Time and the Maiden' remixed by some of biggest names in the EBM scene: Front 242, VNV Nation, Covenant, Assemblage 23, Beborn Beton... 2002: Love is Blind From the shivering guitar melody of Pieces through the final plaintive cries of Love Is Blind, the trio of Victoria Lloyd, Benjamin Fargen, and Chris Ross weave gossamer cocoons of ethereal pop. I was going to qualify these cocoons as being 'comforting and sheltering,' but that denies the shadows and despair which streak through a number of these songs. Claire Voyant's voyage through love and heartache is not always as suffused with light as the melodies and music may lead you to believe. The cocoon of Twenty Four Years has hardened, trapping the narrator inside. "I say I am fine / Behind four walls / Oh, but in this world / I am not fine at all." The light and fire of her relationship has fused the gossamer delight into a captivating prison -- the pure Cocteau Twins jangle of Fargen's guitar -- and the narrator is trapped inside, struggling to find the strength to break free. The dream pop chorus of Pieces takes hold of the split and rides it aloft: "All I have ever known is that there are pieces of light in the shadows."
-- Mark Teppo, earpollution.com
2009: Lustre Tracklisting: 01. Lustre 02. Shine 03. Into Oblivion 04. Another Day (The Subtle Thief of Youth) 05. Mercurial 06. Painted Gold 07. Lost 08. Flicker 09. Broadcast 10. Washaway Release date: Sep 22, 2009 |
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