"Every now and then, a record comes along that takes your breath away on the very first listen. Here are the roses, the debut LP from the enigmatic electronic rock duo Dragons, is one of these records. This is a work of unapologetic melodrama and self-possession, a serious statement of intent that imprints itself indelibly on the soul. Lyrically, the songs are devastating in their bleakness. They come steeped in sepulchral gloom, conjuring disorienting images of graphite skies, monochrome city streets and isolated figures languishing in the shadows. Where is the love? a work of sombre, sinister beauty, is the stuff of gothic nightmares while the eponymous opener (“I’m sitting half naked/my heart racing/my soul long deadâ€) is a heartfelt paean to alienation, even if it concludes on a more hopeful note. Singer Anthony Tombling Jnr sounds like the weight of the world rests exclusively on his shoulders while David Francolini’s drumming conjures an atmosphere of ferocious, slow-burning intensity. The tension reaches boiling point in Lonely tonight, searing with the suggestion of a relationship gone bad. If all this sounds like an unlikely formula for a pop record that’s because it is. But it is Tombling Jnr and Francolini’s willingness to engage with the darker side of human experience that gives their music urgency and depth, rather than weighing it down with emotional baggage. In an era of bland musical commercialism, Dragons arrive like a breath of fresh air in a sticky sauna. Here are the roses is a tremendous record – visceral yet captivating, experimental yet full of heart. Listen to it. You won’t hear anything else like it." Fiona Sturges
D R A G O N S - Lonely tonight promo
