On their latest EP Young Martyrs, Madrid coldgaze band The Poetry Book has put together a haunting and somber release that is the perfect record for fans of industrial and goth music. Martyrs opens with “Decay” a track that has a dreamy feel with a hard and grimy edge, as if we are entering the mind of someone who has dark and depressing thoughts. While we hear light singing in the background of each song, the band really lets the music do the talking, illustrating the place that the narrator is in mentally. The EP’s next song “Love Letter” has a sound and feel that resembles The Cure. As the drum beat bites us with its repetitive beat throughout, we are draped with a wash of sound that keeps us from feeling like we are being smacked by the drums. The nervous energy that the track gives off is easily the most dynamic feeling we experience throughout the EP, and while the tune itself feels repetitive, it quickens the pace of Young Martyrs, leading the audience to feel that the song is out of place with the rest of the tracks.
Lastly, we hear “The Promise” an emotional tune that grabs us from the beginning, and while the songs beat would not be described as something you can dance too, it is by far the catchiest tune on the release, as the band explores more upbeat tones, painting a different picture of their music for those who are just discovering them.
While the group’s music will not be for everyone, if you are looking to branch into darker, or even industrial influenced music, The Poetry Book is a band that you should not pass up, as their music provides many twists and turns to keep things interesting, while still staying within one genre that gives their songs a firm label.
