Curse

Intended as the first formal album by the Legendary Pink Dots, though a vinyl release of the Brighter Now cassette ended up being that by default, 1983’s Curse found the band already starting to move beyond the understated efforts and curiosities of their earliest days, a reflection of more experience and likely more money to hand. There’s a greater sense of depth in the at once steady and constantly unsettling arrangements, melodies shot through with unexpected noises and elements, Ka-Spel’s vocals everything from a quiet conversational murmur to a recitative invocation.