AMG Review of One

Joshua Glazer
All Music Guide

Following the dissolve of her multi-ethnic group, Evoka, Dierdre Dubois strikes out solo, increasing the dance element of her sound while retaining the international flavor of her previous work. Collaborating with electronic producers Wayne Frost and Christian Ricau (Cricket), Dierdre evokes the sound of '80s gothic dance as prescribed by Siouxsie Sioux and Dead Can Dance, while the ethereal programming offers a contemporary sheen. Singing in both English and French (she's left the wordless vocal styling behind), Dierdre traverses the musical map, from the mournful wail of "B.A.C.H." (inspired by a melody from the famous composer) to a dark dancefloor princess on "Firefly." Her outside inspirations also take shape in her cover of the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin," which strips the familiar melody and orchestra away in favor of a dark trip-hop sequence that renders the song unrecognizable to those not intimately familiar with the lyrics. She raises the passion on "A Way to Love," with its energized guitar riff, though the melodrama is consistent throughout the length of the album. Yet for all the grey skies and dark corridors, Dierdre ends on a happy note, asking for "One of Your Smiles," where she doubles her vocals to faintly recall Jane Siberry and k.d. lang's "Calling All Angels," closing an album that will leave previous Evoka fans grinning.