We’ve known Patrick Flegel for quite a bit now. They were the lead vocalist in Women, a sorely missed post-punk band that stood out in the late 2000s for their stern refusal to participate in anything that could ever be described as “chill”. Women were ferocious and thrived in building songs out of knife-sharp guitar riffs, yet there was a classic pop sensibility to their melodies. It is that same sensibility that Flegel has been capturing for a while under their new moniker Cindy Lee.

It is also the one after which their new single “I Want You To Suffer” is born. In what is quite possibly the project’s best song to date, Flegel lets their love for pre-1960s pop come to the fore. For a song titled “I Want You To Suffer”, this seven-minute lo-fi affair features am impossibly bright melody. However, this is a Patrick Flegel song, so you can tell there is something uncanny from the very beginning. It’s not late before the organs ringing out in the first seconds are buried by a Sonic Youth-esque wall of distortion, sinking the song’s sunny vibes into an abyss where it lingers for a deafening middle section.

But fear not: that lovely melody is soon rescued by a minimalist organ-sounding synth. It’s an absolute rollercoaster of a song, and it gets more fascinating with every listen. This is what The Velvet Underground would’ve sounded like if they had stuck with Nico for their second album; or what could have happened if Daniel Johnston fronted Throbbing Gristle. Cindy Lee are here to remind us that pop music can also co-exist with ugliness, noise, and loudness. Their new album What’s Tonight to Eternity is coming out on February 14, a date that manages to be both grim and rose-coloured. You couldn’t ask for a better fit.

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For a decade, Patrick Flegel, the former frontman of Canadian art-rock band Women, has been releasing music with their drag queen ‘confrontation pop’ project Cindy Lee. Next year, on Valentine’s day, they’ll release a brand new album, What’s Tonight to Eternity, which was inspired, amongst others, by singer and drummer Karen Carpenter (from The Carpenters). “I found a deep interest and comfort in her story, which is a cautionary tale about the monstrosity of show business, stardom at a young age, and being a misfit looking for connection,” explains Flegel. “The darkness and victimizing tabloid sensationalism she suffered, which is easily tempered and overwhelmed by her earnest output, her artistry, her tireless work ethic. Something utterly unique and magical takes shape in the negative space, out of exclusion. What I relate to in her mainly has a lot to do with her output and what is unknown about her, how much she kept hidden to herself while having this public profile.”

The album will also explore queer identity and gender expression. It also draws upon the work of classic singers such as Patsy Cline and the Supremes. The 60s girl group’s harmonies are already palpable in the lead single and closing track “Heavy Metal”. The melancholic song is a tribute to late Women member Chris Reimer, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 26. Listen and pre-order the album via Bandcamp below.

Cindy Lee – “What’s Tonight to Eternity” tracklist:

01 Plastic Raincoat

02 I Want You to Suffer

03 The Limit

04 What’s Tonight to Eternity

05 One Second to Toe the Line

06 Lucifer Stand

07 Speaking From Above

08 Just for Loving You I Pay the Price

09 Heavy Metal