Tracklist
1 | Act Of Tenderness | 1:49 | |
2 | Power And Possession | 3:06 | |
3 | What I Need | 2:33 | |
4 | New Romance | 2:26 | |
5 | The Last Train's Come And Gone | 3:38 | |
6 | Operation | 2:52 | |
7 | Quit Doing Me Wrong | 2:06 | |
8 | Fallen Angel | 2:10 | |
9 | Bonsai Garden | 3:29 | |
10 | Miracle Of The Rose | 4:54 | |
11 | Wandering And Solitude | 4:32 | |
12 | A New Love Is Believing | 4:12 |
Cindy Lee is the diva alter-ego of singer / guitarist / drag queen Patrick Flegel, the one-time captain of heralded Canadian experimental guitar pop act, Women. In Flegel's working on / as Cindy Lee exclusively over recent years, their songwriting makes a move toward high atmospherics, often achieving a mysterious sweetness rooted equally in beauty and ache.
As Cindy Lee's first long-form statement, Act Of Tenderness makes use of antipodal themes to create a living sound: static with grace, distortion and sugar, all masterfully arranged with crooked nods toward pop classicism. The layered vocal on "Power And Possession" creates a palpable haunt, bringing historical girl-group lament to choir-esque heights. The feedback shriek and industrial grind of "Bonsai Garden" provides near-operatic damage, yet never stumbles into the irrevocably grave. These snowy pieces give the album a decidedly cinematic feel, albeit one bent more towards Eraserhead.
Originally released in a scant private edition in 2015, Superior Viaduct's imprint W.25TH is pleased to give Act Of Tenderness its deserving wide release.