Three Imaginary Girls

Seattle's Indie-Pop Press – Music Reviews, Film Reviews, and Big Fun

This Seattle trio has come a long way in terms of style and sound since I first had the pleasure of seeing them live. Arkade have managed to capture songs that simultaneously make you feel dreamy and seasick — think a My Bloody Valentine wave, but stripped down bare to the bone.

Kelli Corrado's vocals cut through the carnival darkness and slight goth-gaze like a cross between Siouxsie Sioux and PJ Harvey. Niki Sugar's keyboards move melancholy and strong, sparse and repetitive, steady and melodic. The percussion holds everything together in just the right parts, Christopher Hydinger's beats breathing out from Black Heart Procession rolls to tribal nightmare rhythms.

The whole album is tied together by a moodiness that reminds you of the touch of dusk, strange noises coming through atmospheric radio waves, strange samples that make you feel like you're being watched. Waves that break upon the songs move steady and strong, keeping you awake and floating through dreams you wish you could get back and nightmares you wish you never had.