I've just gotten through listening to a leaked copy of Bauhaus' new album slated for March release, Go Away White.















Y'all ready for this?

First impression: There really isn't anything of the old Bauhaus. Which is not so much a diss, as it is a "to be expected" part of the experience. And while I also fully expected it to be a dud, I also really wanted to give it a shot. I'm a fangirl -- what can I say? But I suppose fangirls and fanboys are the harshest of critics, so for better or for worse, take it or leave it...

It's awful.

And you aren't going to believe this, but as much as I love to be right, that statement makes me truly sad, because I really, really wanted to be wrong.

I do understand why it's being touted as "stripped down." There are no inventive, broken glass and razors guitar assaults from Daniel Ash here, no fresh or ferocious drumming from Kevin Haskins, nor fierce or elegantly disquieting bass from David J. This isn't old Bauhaus, for sure, and that IS the big, fat, glaring problem. But not for reasons of sentimentality or old fogey-ness that you might think a fan of the old stuff would be carrying on about.

The problem with Go Away White in a nutshell is that the songs lack passion and intensity, and sound half-hearted, uninspired. No one is owning it. Some symptoms: the lyrics set their sights on something greater but are repetitive, pedestrian, and unsatisfying. Peter Murphy's voice has aged well, but punctuating songs with a bellow doesn't make his smaller range less apparent nor does it make mediocre songs sound more edgy. Backing lyrics are identical in their death-rattle drone on quite a few songs. Dreadful, boring instrumentation throughout. Instruments sometimes mixed so low and flat that only Peter's voice comes out clear. But that's okay, because there's really not a lot there: I would not be surprised if the drums, bass, and guitar were lifted from practice riffs out of a textbook.

So, what is this leading up to?

This is so bad. The album really hits home for me that David, Kevin, and Daniel have become merely Peter Murphy's backing band. I'm not kidding. I cannot believe this album was a collaborative effort, unless it was compromised to death.

The songs 'Undone,' "Saved,' and 'Zikir' -- among others -- sound suspiciously like rejects from a post-Deep Peter Murphy album: safe, pseudo-spiritual tunes for the adult contemporary set. 'International Bullet-Proof Talent' sounds amateurish, like musical weekend warriors jamming together in a garage for the first time and not quite hitting it. 'Black Stone Heart' has a bit of interest in it, with its mash-up of different sounds and styles, but still comes off insincere. The album is decidedly not avant garde, brutal, stark, potent...or memorable. While I didn't expect In the Flat Field I did expect some ingenuity, some spark, some life. Some Bauhaus.

Rabid Peter Murphy fans will probably like this album. But for fans of the Bau, don't bother except to complete your archive (looks like collectors will be able to get it in limited edition white vinyl). This is very much a vehicle for Murphy, and a disappointing one at that. But even so, the responsibility for this unimaginative and spiritless outing lies with all four members. Sad.