Hardened record store owner says: "I hate the modern new wave shit, give me pre-Rebublic New Order any day of the week." Puts on Black Marble's It's Immaterial: shuts the F up. The new stuff always seems to sound plastic-y, but this sounds like it was mastered by a pudgy Brit named "Geoff" in some oversized basement studio. Tell Geoff to give me that Fat Bottom Girls sound without the "girls." I first heard "Iron Lung" in the office. The shuffling drums, the vocalist sounding deathly pale; I imagined his neck to be veiny with zero neck fat. I am hooked. I really don't want to know more about Chris Stewart, cuz right now in my mind, he's a cross between Peter Murphy and Lux Interior. I think it would crush my soul to find out he's eating Sweetgreen after Soul Cycle. Every time a music critic posted their decade list without this album, I discredited and gave them lurker side-eye (Jessy Lanza's Pull My Hair Back also under-recognized). STAN Black Marble.

➸ IN-DEPTH: Read our interview with Black Marble's Chris Stewart

• Turntable Lab exclusive
• limit (2) per customer
• mint green colored vinyl
• includes obi strip
• limited edition of 300
• music label: Ghostly International 2019
• TTL Institut Audio 007

reviewed by the mgmnt 10/2019