| Wednesday, September 26th 2007 - 09:50:13 PM | |
| Name: | fip |
| Review Source: | CMJ NEW MUSIC REPORT - October 20, 1989 |
| Review or Comment: | This splinter project, a musical union of Game Theory's femme fatale vocalist Donnette Thayer and The Church's multi-talented Steve Kilbey, allows both the freedom to stretch and grow beyond the typical pop constraints of their earlier works, and the results reveal an elaborately unfolding labyrinth of seductively lush washes of sound and intriguing atmospheres and moods. Hypnotic and enchanting, ethereal and spacey, more sounds than songs per se, these ambient, abstract pastel sketches lure in the listener with an intriguing, enveloping air of sparseness and mystery. Sometimes Cocteau-esque, at other moments these moody expanses of sound recall This Mortal Coil and a violin-less version of Hugo Largo, while the plaintive guitar strums invoke Downy Mildew. Far more outgoing and clear than she seemed in her days with Game Theory, Thayer wraps her angelic voice around these pure and clear melodies effortlessly, like the delicate coils of a sea shell. Sometimes it seems that the records that are the quietest and hardest to hear are also the ones that ultimately seem the most special once we allow ourselves to get lost inside them. Top cuts: "Diviner," "Hermaphrodite," "In The Net," "Ethereal Message" and "Silvermine." |
| Wednesday, September 26th 2007 - 09:49:07 PM | |
| Name: | fip |
| Review Source: | Dianne Pine, ROCKPOOL - October 15, 1989 |
| Review or Comment: | FOR THE AIRWAVES - REVIEWS
Hex Like a long walk in the grey pre-dawn mist, Hex brings a sense of serenity, a pause which is reflective and pure. Donnette Thayer can whisper in your ear, words filled with mystic wisdom, or plead like a little girl. Steve Kilbey from The Church adds gentle sweeps of guitar here and there, but the main thrust of this LP is mood; more than melody, the vocals and phrasing are key. "In The Net" with its steady beat and almost quiet pace is a little out of place but very good. Most songs are slow, open, gentle and hypnotic. "Elizabeth Green", "Diviner" and "Silvermine" are romantic and moody. Sounds and effects are used to create the rhythm of ocean tides in "Fire Island" and phrasing is even more a part of "Mercury Towers" in Hex's well timed world. Drums take on the effect of a gentle heartbeat, voices become a vehicle for widespread prayers. The world will come to a halt if you let Hex cast its spell over it. |
| Wednesday, September 26th 2007 - 09:48:00 PM | |
| Name: | fip |
| Review Source: | The Hard Report - September 29, 1989, Issue #148 |
| Review or Comment: | NEW/ALTERNATIVE
Hex (First Warning) Hex pairs Donnette Thayer, formerly of Game Theory and Veil, and Steve Kilbey of The Church, and the debut album glows with ambience unrestricted. As producer, Kilbey skillfully creates space while Donnette fills it with lustrous femininity, that seems undaunted by the sound temptation to leap out [and] grab you. Hypnotic is not even an adequate statement. It mesmerizes - capable of elevating or clouding your awareness. She touches upon unknown or forgotten nerves with an experienced caress. Her voice suddenly changes character from extroverted and dancing to a closeted riddle only to be deciphered carefully. To call it poetic is only to observe its form, and "Diviner", "Fire Island" and "Into The Net" (for starters) are alive with resounding echo. The melodies carry minimal weight that evolves into exquisite creatures of ageless unsullied flesh. "Hermaphrodite", "Elizabeth Green", "Ethereal Message" and "Silvermine" are equally splendid. |
| Wednesday, September 26th 2007 - 09:46:11 PM | |
| Name: | fip |
| Review Source: | Billboard - October 21, 1989, Volume 101 No. 42 |
| Review or Comment: | HEX
PRODUCER: Steve Kilbey First Warning/Rough Trade "Ethereal Message," one of the song titles here, can also stand as a description of the sound of this collaboration between vocalist Donnette Thayer, late of California's Game Theory, and producer/instrumentalist Kilbey of the Church. What songs lack in immediate rock power they more than make up for in allusive, hypnotic force. Deserves a modern rock shot. |
