THE DECEITS – Fate / Light

Heavily Cure-influenced post-punk band from Los Angeles

The Deceits released this cool, cute EP in December 2022. ‘Fate (Is When I’m With You)’ positively screams The Cure, but obviously in a sweetly crestfallen manner. Ditto ‘Guiding Light’ with some damper, shifting keyboards. Things get lumpier and jumpier during the ‘80s demo mix’ of ‘Guiding Light’, but after all these pleasantries I was drawn more to the simple honesty of the fizzy demo ‘Failures’ with its weedy melody, microscopic drums and an unravelling bass. It’s still The Cure, only more authentically early, as it were.

I’m curious as to what Kevin Moreno, Kevin Hernandez and Sisco Saenz really get out of such a sound, when it reveals so little of themselves. I like their deft lyrical touch, and much preferred ‘En Soledad’ (May 2022) where a change of language helped dispose of the Smith disguise, as did a touch more urgency. It’d be interesting to see what would happen if they really hammered something.