Never quite imagining the Devil in such a charming and dignified posture, with an angelic guise, down flutters Voltaire, a gracious arch-angel and "Almost Human," a beautifully presented Gothic rush of flighty orchestrations and lush pop melodies.

Combining a demon's lust with the soft focus of a Peter Murphy, the swinging sapphire-like emotive frequencies of The Go-Betweens, Voltaire's music lashes out in earnest in a personally derivative display of consciousness with the elusive "Out of Reach," the self-inflicted "Dunce," and tongue-darting defiance of "Almost Human."

Voltaire's supporting cast really brings to life this surreal oracle of ostentatious overtures with a cavalcade of string sections and valiant violin playing a dominant role, the mind's eye paints a picture both vivid and violent, soft yet sinful, dynamic while sometimes diabolical in following the role he casts for himself.

Morality's placed to the forefront in certain cases, "God Thinks," but overall we're placed in the middle of a first-person perspective that explores the depth of this artist's sudden and soulful pitch-"Anastasia," "Dead Girls," and "The Headless Waltz."

Voltaire, the creator / master orator, conjures an oft-disturbing word play-see "The Headless Waltz," "Alchemy Monday's" and "The Last Word" that beckon the strains of a starving soul, at times deeply disturbed, wholly determined, yet all at once a touching and inviting outcry aimed at life's true passions… "Almost Human."

Released by Projekt Records: http://www.projekt.com/

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]