Hadji- Clockwork Deity

Clockwork Deity is the third full-length release by Hadji, a group masterminded by frontwoman Wesley DeVore, whose past accomplishments include working with Trent Reznor on Nine Inch Nails' The Fragile as well as working with a diverse list of other artists as a programmer and engineer. DeVore, handling songwriting, vocals, guitars, keyboards, and programming, is anchored by bassist Chris Babin and new drummer Nathan Lomonaco. So, is this album what you'd expect from an artist who's worked with Trent Reznor? Perhaps it is, in that it's a diverse album that defies expectations and is difficult to classify.

The band, rather than creating one hybrid style and sticking to it, instead jumps genres throughout the album. The electronic-tinged yet somewhat raw alternative rock of songs like "insomnia", "beautiful boy", "run to you", "bound", and "ressurection" is countered by the funky new wave track "messiah strategy", the radio-friendly hook-laden electro-rocker "I'm not feeling futile today", and a slew of mellower offerings. These range from the eastern-influenced "the other" and "conquered minion" to the Loreena McKennit-esque electronic folk of "infestation" to "the seed" and "surrender", which draw comparisons to artists like Sarah McLachlan. DeVore's vocals also explore a large territory. The more alternative rock oriented tracks often find her sounding like an equally angst-ridden hybrid of Courtney Love and Polly Jean Harvey, while she also does a nice job with the ethereal tracks and even lets out a few black metal-ish snarls on "ressurection" that evoke a much-deserved "What the f*#k?" knee-jerk response.

With other bands like Evanescence bringing a similar blend of moody electronic rock and ethereal tendencies to the mainstream, Hadji may not be as revolutionary or original as they could have claimed to be a few years ago. Still, strong songwriting and intelligent lyrics combine with good production and strong, emotive performances all around to make this album stand out above many of their more generic peers. If you like your angst-ridden alternative rock balanced out with a spoonful or two...or three...of mellow ethereal sugar and a little industrial/electronic flare for good measure, then Clockwork Deity is a CD you don't want to miss.