One of the truly surprising groups to appear this year is that of Poptone, a new goth/post-punk power trio featuring former Bauhaus/Tones On Tail/Love & Rockets members Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins, along with Haskins’s daughter, Diva Dompe. Though they initially formed as a live act, their reception was so overwhelmingly positive that they decided to go into the studio and revisit material from their vast discography together. That debut album appeared last week, and has impressed us greatly. Even more surprising was the focus on Tones On Tail, including both hit “Go” and a host of lesser-known material. For my money, though, the highlight is “No Big Deal,” a beloved song taken from the band’s 1989 self-titled commercial breakthrough. This version is stripped down and rough and jagged and raw in a very satisfying way–one that shows that they are not taking the easy road and simply imitating the past. One hopes that this album is more than a one off, and that revisiting their storied past will help inspire them to create equally great new music in the future.
The Recoup 
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