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“Haunting,” “Possessive,” “Hypnotic,” “Erotic,” those are the first words that came to mind when I listened to the new album, ‘The Drought’ by PUCE MARY (aka Frederikke Hoffmeier). The feeling of listening to this album is like eating the forbidden fruit. She shares expressions in ways that can be classified as chilling. “Red Desert” is the one song that really explains the pain that she is going through. We have this personal story that sounds like it is coming out of the voice of human suffering and confusion. Most times when she is heard, it is in spoken word. The industrial feel of this album is in all these surreal sounds. This album does not sound like a bunch of hits, it sounds like a plea for help from someone who has completely lost faith in this world. This album seems to bleed connectivity and how she feels aging has affected her. When she speaks it is chilling to the bone. In almost an art house film approach, this album felt like a bunch of short films playing out in your mind as you are so attracted to the sounds.
This is not an album to be listened to and forgotten, it is an experience that I feel with multiple listens gets even more haunting. There is this subtle nature to the sound, but it has hints of this forceful emotion. This album uses complexity in the human psyche as song lyrics. The thought put into this album is amazing. She uses silence at times to navigate the listener. The lyrical base to this album is about nakedness, letting down your armor and exposing yourself to a stream of noises that showcase your craft. This album is a journey through an emotional abyss that is created with a ton of thought and noise. This album hopefully signals a change in the forecast for music. This album is an important statement that demands attention. This is the album of 2018.