REVIEW

The first album from New York-based darkwave duo R. Missing.

Sharon Shy and Toppy Frost, formerly of the indie rock duo The Ropes, formed R. Missing to explore a more electronic sound. Following their 2017 six-track debut EP Unsummering and several subsequent singles, this release marks their first full-length album.

Mechanical, clockwork-like beats, strobing synths that flash like signals, and vocals that drift coolly like wind between city buildings converge to create somber dance tracks that vividly convey themes of solitude and loss. While listeners may draw comparisons to Chromatics or Trevor Something, R. Missing favors a simpler, more minimal approach, maintaining a detached, emotion-stripped aesthetic throughout. Experiencing the previously released singles together in album form highlights the strength of the material, demonstrating that even in a singles-driven strategy, the songs reward extended listening.

According to interviews, the “R” in R. Missing stands for a word meaning “unknowable,” with no relation to the 18th letter of the alphabet, though it may subtly reference their former band, The Ropes. The Ropes, a dream pop project with echoes of The Cure, may be of interest to listeners exploring that catalog.

‍The Ropes – Bandcamp