The music floats, is beautiful in a simple way, and doesn't grate, abuseor build to tumultuous climaxes. The lyrics are of a masochistic nature, which reflects a probable suicide in the writer's future. Sung by and for those in love with self-misery. (Sam replies: 15 years later, and I'm still around! Ha!!!)

Black Tape For A Blue Girl's the rope is like the musical equivalent of a nervous breakdown. "Holy Terrors" and "The Floor Was Hard But Home,"complete with dark, scary lyrics that make The Smiths sound like Alvin andThe Chipmunks, might give you an idea of what mental anguish sounds like. Not the easiest album to listen to, but it is an experiment worth hearing.

I feel the room growing dark around me so I'd better write this quickly. The Rope, a project of Projekt's Sam Rosenthal, make music of a sort more often associated with British artists, specifically those you'd find on labels like Fetish or 4AD. The Rope's warmly textured avant-pop plays like a blend of Chris and Cosey and the Cocteau Twins. Black Tape For A Blue Girl is also the best retort I've heard lately to the argument that synthesisers are inherently cold and unemotional. Despite the fact that this viewpoint is idiotic on the face of it (translated, it just means that synthesisers are emotive because his music is: gently disorienting, autumnal, mesmerizing, mournful, full of wonder and elusive grandeur. This album culd bring on midnight at noon. The room grows black and the ceiling opens. The sky is awash with sound, So lie back . . . listen . . . and feel.