Cindy Lee is the diva alter-ego of singer / guitarist / drag queen Patrick Flegel, the one-time captain of heralded Canadian experimental guitar pop act, Women. In Flegel's working on / as Cindy Lee exclusively over recent years, their songwriting makes a move toward high atmospherics, often achieving a mysterious sweetness rooted equally in beauty and ache. As Cindy Lee's first long-form statement, Act Of Tenderness makes use of antipodal themes to create a living sound: static with grace, distortion and sugar, all masterfully arranged with crooked nods toward pop classicism. The layered vocal on "Power And Possession" creates a palpable haunt, bringing historical girl-group lament to choir-esque heights. The feedback shriek and industrial grind of "Bonsai Garden" provides near-operatic damage, yet never stumbles into the irrevocably grave. These snowy pieces give the album a decidedly cinematic feel, albeit one bent more towards Eraserhead. Originally released in a scant private edition in 2015, Superior Viaduct's imprint W.25th is pleased to give Act Of Tenderness it's deserving wide release.

A1. Act Of Tenderness
A2. Power And Possession
A3. What I Need
A4. New Romance
A5. The Last Train's Come And Gone
A6. Operation
B1. Quit Doing Me Wrong
B2. Fallen Angel
B3. Bonsai Garden
B4. Miracle Of The Rose
B5. Wandering And Solitude
B6. A New Love Is Believing