Drowning in Odium

Scarling- Sweet Heart Dealer

I’ll be honest in saying that I was a bit disappointed with Scarling at first. I really loved Jack Off Jill, and I found out about Scarling maybe just a few months after realizing that JOJ had actually broken up, so I guess I was very much judging Jessicka’s new band by her old one, which of course is not a good thing to do, but it can be rather inevitable when you really like a band. However, some time has passed since then, and I’ve been listening to both scarling albums a lot, and now I definitely like this band as much as JOJ.

One of the things that characterizes “Sweet Heart Dealer” the most is the blend of abrasive yet dreamy shoegazer guitar with Jessicka’s catchy hooks and a weird pop structure. While there is definitely a lot of experimentation going on here, there is also very much a dedication to verse chorus verse structure, which makes it interesting. It’s kind of what I envision a more modern version of My Bloody Valentine would sound like if they became more of a rock band.

This experimental nature is one of the clearest differences between Scarling and Jack Off Jill, but there is also a bit difference in Jessicka’s delivery, as well as her overall lyrical tone. While still using similar kinderwhore/ perky goth imagery, the lyrics are much less playful, and seemingly more personal in nature, which is an obvious evolution of where she was going on the last JOJ release.

Overall, Scarling is an awesome band, and “Sweet Heart Dealer” is a good introduction to them. Which makes sense, as it was their first album and all…