eMusic Review 0
Contemporaries of the Lorries in the West Yorkshire contingent, Skeletal Family demonstrate just how wide and diverse the goth categorisation could be. Their first single “Trees” is, in many ways, the antithesis of the sound found on Talk About the Weather. Vast, mysterious and spacious, it utilises floating, faerie-light keyboard effects to lure the listener deeper into the aural forest. Drawn away from the beaten track, we are left at the mercy of Anne-Marie Hurst who gasps, sighs, screams and generally sounds rather unhinged as she begs us “don't go near the trees!” Giddy singing is something of a recurring theme, with all kinds of primal yelps emerging from Ms. Hurst — as if possessed by a stray, ecstatic spirit. Absolutely thumping drumming also comes to the fore, steering away from the usual reverb fetish and instead demonstrating a love for pummeling, tribal rhythms. Topped off with some energetic guitar work and a twinkling eye for a cover (“Batman” gets the treatment), this bulging collection handily compiles the majority of the Skeletal's best.
