So, as far as band HR has been concerned over the past few years, seems the magic number has settled up at either around 19 members, or 2. Unless Sergeant Pepper’s entire Lonely Hearts Club Band joined the fray, or the less useful core 50% were swiftly booted aside, The Beatles would have been out on their ear these days. A four-piece, sir? Pfffft! At the lower end of the scale this century, duos such as The Kills, Joy Zipper, Death From Above 1979 and of course The White Stripes have received torrents of crackling commercial and/or critical acclaim, yet for reasons unbeknown one band who carry the appeal of many of their peers combined, and a palette twice as rich, languish in relative obscurity. There’s not even any larking around with Viva Voce, they are genuine man and wife, a real-life partnership, straight down to business, not a clever marketing gimmick. And herein probably lies their problem.
Where most of these pairs – though to a lesser extent Joy Zipper whom them share most common ground – do something, one thing, essentially very well (with the added saleable proposition of being a zinging, testosterone-charged twosome supping from a cup of tangible sexuality), Viva Voce are the full compliment, a whole story told well. ‘Get Yer Blood Sucked Out’, as with all that has preceded it, is everything a psychedelic pop record should be; organic, malleable, free-moving, blissed, sun-kissed, with strong points of reference.
Every tune is a quality take on its chosen subject – ‘Believer’ is pure Velvet Underground soup, ‘When Planets Collide’ is The Breeders at their most stoned, ‘From The Devil Himself’ a breezy Dandy Warhols stomp, ‘We Do Not Fuck Around’ sounds like an alt-country Elton John ballad lead sunny places by Joy Zipper, ‘Never Be Like Yesterday’ is a pure Mercury Rev daydream and ‘Faster Than A Dead Horse’ sounds like Yo La Tengo abusing the Beach Boys with discordant distortion. While there might be nothing particular or singular to focus on, there is more than enough to bathe in. Every corner is touched, here are 2 people doing the work of 19.
share this:
