She Wants Revenge

A fortuitous combination of word of mouth, industry connections, and airplay

Justin Warfield and Adam Bravin (aka DJ Adam 12) from retro goth-pop duo She Wants Revenge met as kids in the San Fernando Valley in 1986. Growing up listening to everything from Run DMC and Public Enemy to The Cure, Prince and Depeche Mode, they would each develop as musicians, DJs and producers, pursuing critically acclaimed careers, each in their own right. Los Angeles DJs formed the moody, Joy Division-inspired She Wants Revenge in 2003. Later Warfield and Bravin assembled a live band to accompany them, and after only 3 mind-blowing hometown shows, set out on two legs of the North American Bloc Party tour. Since then they have played in the UK, and have begun to amass a sizeable local following in Los Angeles, opening for such acts as The Raveonettes, Moving Units, The Kills, Bloc Party, and OK Go. A fortuitous combination of word of mouth, industry connections, and airplay provided the duo with enough exposure to snag a record deal with Geffen, resulting in a 2006 self-titled release that has drawn comparisons to Interpol, early Depeche Mode, and The Bravery, as well as their aforementioned eternally depressed post-punk heroes from England, Joy Division.

She Wants Revenge features a carefully produced sound

The duo plays its catchy, slightly dissolute songs to the accompaniment of impeccable-sounding period synthesizers and drum machines, and the influence of the pair's previous careers as L.A. DJs comes through in their flawless '80s club-land accents. She Wants Revenge features a carefully produced sound that fills every nook and cranny with effective dance beats and moody hooks. It's initially pretty convincing, especially when they lead off the album with its best track, the darkly seductive Red Flags and Long Nights. First single These Things is an enjoyable hum-along and Out of Control is a great club-song. The album’s two most accessible tracks are Broken Promises for Broken Hearts and Sister, which both feature a quiet goth-rock buildup to an infectious synth-filled chorus. Warfield’s capable monotone moves through sexually charged lyrics. Most of the songs follow this successful format, but the last track on the album (not counting the untitled hidden track), She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not, stands out as an ode to conflicted love. The best is saved for last: first there is the new single Tear You Apart, which both musically and lyrically is a derivative of Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart, but very catchy. And then there is the hidden bonus track, a great 7+ minute epic song and a perfect way to end the album.

She Wants Revenge has the tunes, confidence, and potential

She Wants Revenge is so deeply rooted in Joy Division and early New Order, you are going to enjoy this album tremendously if you like those bands. Justin Warfield's rigid vocals are indeed reminiscent of that of Ian Curtis, and the album's severe, sulky sound only fuels the rampant comparisons to his band, among others. Despite such blatant parallels, they never directly mimic any particular forerunner, and so She Wants Revenge narrowly escapes carbon-copy certain doom. Rather than stale straight-up rehash, it's more like they've lovingly collected parts from their predecessors, welded them together, inserted their own brain, tweaked the vision, and brought the steely monster to life to trample down a path of its own. She Wants Revenge has the tunes, confidence, and potential to be remembered as more than that band you listened to while Interpol was taking time off to record another album. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking here, but the songs are infectious and the production talent of Warfield and Bravin cannot be denied. Time will tell if the former DJs are serious about their new career or if this was just a musical experiment.