AMG Review of Euphoria

Jason Ankeny
All Music Guide

Insides' elusive and icy electronic pop explores the darkest, seamiest corners of love and sex -- their songs capture the emptiness and hostility that surface when the afterglow fades, ugly scenes punctuated by eruptions of violence, waves of self-loathing and caresses that are cold to the touch. Singer/bassist Kirsty Yates' vocals are eerily dispassionate, detailing her sordid tales of physical intimacy and emotional distance with alarming candor -- songs like "Darling Effect," "Skin Divers" and "Skykicking" are brutally revealing, giving voice to thoughts and feelings perhaps better left unspoken. The bitter irony of the album's title aside, Euphoria is harrowing and deeply disturbing, yet strangely beautiful -- as unforgiving as it is unforgettable.