Pale Sketcher – Can I Go Now EP

Justin Broadwick is one of those guys whose music I wished I liked more. From Godflesh’s industrial noise right through to Jesu’s decidedly metallic take on shoegaze, he’s always made music close to my taste… but not quite. Thus it’s pleasing to finally find something from the man who reportedly turned down the opportunity to join Faith No More that I can actively enjoy as opposed to passively respect.

The genius of Pale Sketcher lies in Jesu – specifically in a limited edition album of remixes released last year. ‘Can I Go Now (Gone Version)’, taken from this is a charming piece of M83 influenced wistfulness. Broadwick’s musical heritage comes out in the bleaker sound of the synth washes and sadder vocal, that for the soft electronic cocoon would be truly heartbreaking.

I often think that it’s better to do more lyrically with just a few words and here the phrase “Can I Go Now?” within the chorus provides the crux. Its sung by someone in the song’s structure who’s resigned themselves to the end of a relationship and is a highly emotional, and thus highly rewarding payoff within the track’s gauzy melancholy.

Of the two remixes, Donnacha Costello’s does the best job of further magnifying the melancholy vibe. Costello (whose stark ambience on albums such as Quiet Is The New Loud made him a remix perfect choice) takes the song’s stylish angst up a notch with gently chiming sequencers, a touch more reverb and just a few more beats. This is remix as definitive version as opposed to rewrite and its both highly effective and also addictive.

After that the other remix from Syntaks, which takes a more wispy, instrumental route functions as a pleasant coda. With the weather changing and taking on a more autumnal feel, this is a perfect time perhaps to ditch the sunny Balearic sounds for something still chilled, but more chilly.