Shimmer is New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

's Bitter Grace

Bitter Grace

Bitter Grace is a Manhattan goth rock band active since around 1985. Formed by Gustavo Lapis Ahumad in New York City, the band is known for their live set that includes lighting, smoke and theatrical effects. Plagued with consistent line-up changes over the past two decades, the band still plays...

's long awaited follow up to God and the Abyss

God and the Abyss

New York City's Bitter Grace performed for ten years and went through continuous rounds of line-up changes during the making of this album. Similar in vein to the sound of Joy Division, Bauhaus and other post-punk goth rockers, God and the Abyss was a long journey that lasted from the first...

. While Shimmer did not take as long to release, seven years to the twelve it took to finish the previous, the band still underwent line-up changes through the period of recording and releasing this album, however not as severely. Both bassists recorded on this album have left the band, though one of the guitarists that has been recorded here eventually returned in late 2005 just prior to its release after a hiatus.

The difference in sound between God and the Abyss

God and the Abyss

New York City's Bitter Grace performed for ten years and went through continuous rounds of line-up changes during the making of this album. Similar in vein to the sound of Joy Division, Bauhaus and other post-punk goth rockers, God and the Abyss was a long journey that lasted from the first...

and Shimmer is striking, with the new direction of the band adding more elements of electronic dance music

Electronic dance music

Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...

 and a generally dancier sound. Keyboards are more prominent than before and the sound is less garage-centric and more melodic.

The album itself is not released yet. Some tracks have been available for a while online and two initial singles, "Shimmering" and "Slave", have been receiving college and Internet radio airplay. Shimmer tells a modern day gothic fairy tale

Fairy tale

A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...

 about "the very clever boy, who was really never quite that clever" and the tracks themselves lead the story along.

Track listing

All songs by Gustavo Lapis Ahumad except: "Viva Las Vegas"; "Slave" & "Shimmering" by Brandon Tubby and Bitter Grace; "On Their Lips" by Caitlyn Deery and Bitter Grace.

1. "Really Something"
2. "Deep Deep"
3. "Viva Las Vegas
   Viva Las Vegas (song)
   "Viva Las Vegas" is a 1964 song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman and recorded by Elvis Presley for his Viva Las Vegas film vehicle of that year...
   
   "
4. "Anyway"
5. "Slave"
6. "Shimmering"
7. "End of Days"
8. "On Their Lips"
9. "Love is You"
10. "End of Days" (Good Bye Mix)

Personnel

• Gustavo Lapis Ahumad - Lyrics / Vocals / Producer
• Brandon Tubby - Guitars
• Christopher Clarke - Bass / Guitars
• Avi Berkovich - Drums
• Marcus Pan - Album Graphics
• Esther - Bass
• George Grant - Engineer