Like world music and alternative rock, darkwave is a somewhat nebulous term, but it is a convenient one. Coined in Europe in the ’90s, darkwave has been used to describe a variety of dark, pessimistic music ranging from goth rock and ethereal to industrial and EBM. In some cases, European artists have blended these styles, and that’s one of the reasons why darkwave is such a convenient term; if a group is somehow relevant to goth as well as to industrial and EBM, it’s easy to label them darkwave. A perfect example of a diverse darkwave group is Italy’s Pulcher Femina, whose Fallen Angel falls into the goth category much of the time but not all of the time. Fans of electro-goth (as opposed to guitar-minded goth) would have a hard time not appreciating relentlessly gloomy, darkly romantic tracks like “Impossible Love,” “Burn My Chains,” and “Sad Angel.” But on rhythmic, danceable offerings such as “Scream and Die” and “Death,” the Rome-based duo moves into industrial/EBM territory. And thankfully, Fallen Angel never sounds erratic or confused. Everything fits together, and Pulcher Femina maintains a dark mood whether it is being goth-minded or industrial/EBM-minded. Singer/keyboardist Roberto Conforti and singer/lyricist Anna Consuelo Cerichelli are neither goth purists nor industrial or EBM purists, but broad-minded darkwave enthusiasts will find a lot to admire about this compelling CD. – Alex Henderson
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