Brighton trio Esben and the Witch have taken it upon themselves to bring enchantment back to gothic music; they succeed on their fine second album. Singer Rachel Davies has an enigmatic, shimmering delivery while songs avoid over-wroughtness in favor of hazy War paint-style rhythms and spidery guitar lines.
Wash the Sins Not Only the Face could easily be 47 minutes of doom and gloom, considering its gothic roots, but the journey crafted by Esben and the Witch is an illuminated one. Naturally, the flashes of brightness are a deception, leading the listener down an even darker path. On “Deathwaltz”, for example, an air of mystery surrounds Rachel Davies’ radiant delivery, as foreboding guitar lines crescendo towards an unnerving fadeout.
Getting lost rarely sounds this enticing.