Blind Faith and Envy- Murder of a Girl

The result of 2 years of work, Murder of a Girl, Blind Faith and Envy's sophomore effort, brings about 42 minutes of catchy melodic hooks, emotive synth work, and energy to light. Featuring the production skills of songwriter Daniel Guenther and the strong vocals of lyricist Charlene April, the album's primarily electronic delivery alternates club-oriented material with relatively lighter fare, from the piano ballad "Ashamed" to the disc's somewhat subtler title track. The production is crisp, well layered, and does a nice job of balancing the intricate with the straightforward, while April's vocal work compliments both extremes of the band's sound for a package that, despite having a number of melodic standouts, is fairly consistent in both sound and quality.

Murder of a Girl's four energetic, club-friendly outings are all standouts, the dark, up-tempo "The Smallest Rewards" featuring a spectacular single-worthy chorus. The highly danceable, rhythmic "Secret Affair", the pulsating synths and infectious vocal chorus melodies of "Dirty Town", and the closing "Walking in the Park", perhaps the album's most powerful offering, all shine here. Of the disc's slower tracks, the poppy "Orchid" and airy "Secret Affair" are the most noteworthy, both exceptionally well written and accessible.

As a whole, Blind Faith and Envy's second full-length offering is a cohesive and enjoyable album with a number of exceptionally strong tracks. Fans of club-friendly dark electro-pop and both moody and light darkwave will find common ground here, making Murder of a Girl a fairly interesting outing that's worth looking into.