Local Review: Von Masse — COIL

Von Masse
COIL
Self-Release
Street: 03.28.25
Von Masse = Shoegaze + Prog Rock + Northern Soul

Von Masse is  a four-piece band featuring Justin Richardson on vocals, guitars, lyrics and arrangements; Blair Draper on drums; Elowyn LaPointe on vocals and bass; and Derek Clark on synthesizers and keyboards. The band’s Bandcamp profile uses the hashtags “dreampop,” “Psychedelic,” “Shoegaze” and “Space rock.” I’d confuse the issue further by saying they’re also a little Baggy, a touch Prog and feature the sort of basslines that remind me of New Romantic acts who were heavily influenced by Northern Soul like Spandau Ballet, ABC and Duran Duran. More simply, they produce a lush, layered sound that frequently jumps genres to create an approachable vibe made for sun-lit amphitheaters. 

“Dazer,” the first single and opening track, is an unusual composition. It’s almost backwards in the sense that the guitar solo comes where the second verse would normally be. Sonically, it is all over the map. Funky bass, space organ, smokey vocals. There’s even a sense of David Bowie’s Scary Monsters there, a nod to Robert Fripp’s contributions. It works as foreshadowing for the rest of the record. The mix feels a little muddy, each instrument fighting its way to the forefront. 

“Tears for Who” has a pleasant ringing guitar and more spaced-out synths under the blissed-out vocals. The track works best when it takes a distorted turn and the bassline dips in and around the soft noise. I’d be inclined to let the chaos last a few more beats before returning to the brightness. I imagine that the live version pushes a bit closer to the soft and loud juxtaposition that Mogwai have mastered. 

Then comes “Burst,” a pop song built upon a bass groove that is periodically interrupted by a distorted space organ bridge and again for an even noisier outro. The brawling instruments experiment works better here than it did on “Dazer.” 

“New Mourning” is built on a hypnotic keyboard loop that allows the guitars to paint outside of the lines. It works, but not nearly as well as what is coming next. 

Von Masse is a band that likes to doodle here and there. Thankfully, they never doodle for too long. This is best represented in “End of Era.” I find solos to be self-indulgent, but twenty seconds of disruptive behavior scattered here and there in an otherwise pretty song feels appropriate. All the musical influences come together here well. 

The instrumental “Motion Sickness” is fantastic as well. From time-to-time, Johnny Marr would sneak this kind of interlude onto The Smiths’ records.

“Lectric Palms” is all atmosphere until the bass kicks in. It feels like the sort of hook that David J used throughout the Love and Rockets songbook. This builds for two minutes before a tempo change hints at something different, but it’s a tease, as the band hits the brakes and the song drifts into something beautiful but still disappointing. I suspect that they’re purposefully undercutting traditional song structure, but if there ever was a time to let their hair down, this was it. 

Next is “In a Manner of Speaking,” a Tuxedomoon cover. Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore released his interpretation of the track as the second radio single for his solo EP Counterfeit in 1989. I love Gore’s version. I had never listened to the original. Initially, I found Von Masse’s version to be a little crowded. I preferred Gore’s sparseness. Turns out Von Masse are far more faithful to the original. 

The last track, “Psych(e),” is something of a hodgepodge of all the styles featured on the album. As the title suggests, it leans heavily into psychedelic soundscapes. It’s incredibly slick and a little overproduced.   

Von Masse features four incredibly talented musicians and there are moments of COIL that are fantastic. Their willingness to move beyond the confines of established genres is often exciting, but it doesn’t always serve the song. 

The vocal harmonies of Richardson and LaPointe are initially majestic. It’s a cornerstone element of dreampop. Unfortunately, even the best magic trick loses its potency with overuse, and halfway through the album, I desperately wanted some variation.  

By avoiding traditional formulas, Von Masse occasionally created a few of their own. Still, COIL is an undeniably strong album from a band who has yet to fulfill their potential. —Ryan Michael Painter

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