The Church: Hologram Of Baal

You'd think The Church had dropped off the face of the earth after 1992's unfortunately titled Priest = Aura. In case you were wondering what the band has been up to since then, rest assured that it's been business as usual. Steve Kilbey and Marty Wilson-Piper have been carrying the torch of ethereal pop, having recorded two now-hard-to-find albums, as well as the new, hopefully easier-to-find (and again unfortunately titled) Hologram Of Baal. You have to hand it to them for persevering in the face of indifference. On Hologram Of Baal, The Church once again weaves a dense tapestry of guitars so thick and tangible, you'd think you could swim in them. Kilbey's voice is much as it has been on previous albums, as well—slightly rough and a bit flat, but still warm. Unfortunately, there are no standout tracks here, the way there were on Heyday ("Tantalized") or Starfish ("Under The Milky Way"). "Anaesthesia" is a strong example of The Church's jangly, flushed-out pop, and "Louisiana" stands above the others as a lush make-out song, but both still lack the punch of the group's best work. Perhaps The Church just constructs songs and albums so well that they flow together seamlessly, but it's more likely that the band just doesn't sound quite so fresh any more. There are no outright clunkers here, but a few tracks drag a bit, weighed down by overproduction or, on "The Great Machine," conceptual pretentiousness. Hologram Of Baal sounds pretty and rich, but overall, it's too dull to please anyone but the band's few hardcore fans.