ALBUM REVIEW: Kissing Death – Mothica

Alternative pop-rock artist MOTHICA is on the cusp of releasing her third album Kissing Death. The record itself is a visual album in which each track has its own accompanying music video, all combining to tell a dark romantic comedy about MOTHICA and her relationship with ‘Death’ as they go through couples’ therapy.

All of this comes together to tell a story of MOTHICA’s personal struggles with mental health and darker moments in her life, cleverly represented in the form of a toxic relationship one might form with the idea of death. Despite some of the deeper lyrical content, you still are guaranteed to find yourself dancing and swaying along to the infectious dark-pop synths and moody guitar riffs – another form of the visual where one dances as they cry. Even without knowing the planned story and visuals of this dark romantic comedy, you can still picture the stories and images described in the lyrics.

This is heard clearly on Doomed, where the listener can easily remember, or at least imagine, growing up as an unsure teenager trying to find their place in the world with social expectations taking on a darker turn than expected, soundtracked by an alternative meets grunge guitar and melancholic ethereal sound effects. Or Exit Plan that covers the darker times whilst struggling with mental health in a bittersweet twist where you feel better, yet you didn’t expect to get this far. All the while you’re smiling and dancing along to dark pop synths.

Outside of the narrative, other visuals easily come to mind. One moment we might be in an underground club scene with flashing lights and pulsing bodies during tracks like The Void and The Reaper, other times it can feel cinematic. In Oblivion For Two, for example, there’s a certain vibe that feels like the listener has been placed in a cyberpunk world, driving in a car at night as they traverse the futuristic city.

Closing the record is the title track, which feels like the final session in the aforementioned therapy sessions where ‘Death’ is finally called out for plaguing those most vulnerable and leaving them tempted with certain ideations. Kissing Death is MOTHICA’s clever way of opening about personal topics and exploring darker themes surrounding mental health in a way one can understand whilst still being able to enjoy her dark pop meets alternative rock style.

Rating: 8/10

Kissing Death is set for release on August 23rd via Heavy Heart Records/Rise Records.

Like MOTHICA on Facebook.