We all know the prickling taste of wistful longing for that “toxic” ex. The one you think about, even though you shouldn't. Sometimes, even waiting for their texts, or running back into their arms, even though you know their embrace is cloaked in daggers. Yes, that one.
Like a stroll through the gardens of hell, Dark Angel by the San-Francisco band Provoker is the perfect soundtrack for venturing through the dystopian-esque society we live in while experiencing a volatile connection. Released in 2018, the 5-song EP is their first feat as a fully-fledged band.
When musician Jonathan Lopez, met vocalist Christian Petty at the screening of the black horror film, The Greasy Strangler in 2016, he had already devised Provoker, hoping to score fictional horror films. Thankfully, Lopez decided to send Petty the instrumentals, and together with bassist Will Palacios, and drummer Kristian Morena, the post-punk new wave band produced an EP edging on a masterpiece.
Dark Angel is the physical manifestation of a lover’s wistfulness captured in a bottle. Punctured with theatrical horror synths, resonant drums, electrifying guitars, and glum vocals, the synergy between Petty’s sultry R&B-influenced vocals and Lopez’s 80s horror aesthetic is almost fated and reminiscent of a post-punk Majid Jordan.
On “Sex With My Ex”, they delve into the bitter-sweet nature of love. Maybe it’s because I first heard the song when I was deeply contemplating sex with my ex, but for some reason, it stung a little. As Petty sings, “Your skin burns my hand when I touch it/ I don’t mind third degree when I’m fuckin,” “Tie my hands back before I go back for another/ I know you hate me,” I’m reminded why I should stay the f*ck away from my ex. “Flinch Awake” is almost narcotic with its melodic, steady tempo, blessed by the sweetness of Petty’s raspy voice. It feels like a ghostly dream. On “Dark Angel”, he sings, “I take your love, you take my life/ Dark angel keeper of my soul.” His words raise the question: Why does love sometimes feel like torture? Even so, why do we keep running back?
If you listen past the blasé mixing and the vocals that often sway between lethargic and passionate, you can hear the glimmers of the band’s potential to make a masterpiece. Their potential is clear, all that’s missing was more They’re telling a story of love, yet it feels elusive lyrically. You want more – more of the story, more allusions, more insight, yet we are left with fleeting verses and echoed choruses. Perhaps, it is an allusion to the love itself.
Often compared to The Cure or Sisters of Mercy, Provoker is the remedy to my misery and delight. The first time I listened to them, I cried. Not because the lyrics were particularly lamentable, but because the music encapsulated my feelings so effortlessly with its eerie production, mellifluous vocals, and the propulsive catharsis it incited. It made me realize how pleasurable pain can be, or how oftentimes, the two are almost interchangeable, especially in love.
Provoker is one of my guilty pleasures because even when I’m happy, I’m listening. Their music transcends aural reception and incites a visceral feeling every time I listen to it and trust me, I listen to it incessantly – on the subway, while it rains, the pre-party in my room before a night out – at any moment that calls for it, Provoker is blaring in my eardrums.
This EP has found a home in my playlist A Quick Death, spotting sights from the likes of Paris Texas, Mareux, Yves Tumor, Kid Cudi, and Death In Vegas – music that feels like it was made just for me. Like the idea of sex with your ex, this E.P. is a mysterious but enchanting lover whose red flags are scarlet, yet you follow along as Petty’s voice guides you deeper and deeper…
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