Albums

The Violets - The Lost Pages

Thomas 07/01/2008

Rating: 2.5/5

Ever read a fawning press release or the back of a promo CD and thought, “Christ, writing that shit must be the worst job in the world?” Well, at least that means you'd probably be good at it. Whoever does the Violets' press thinks that both labelling a song as “Hunky Dory-esque” won't make it crushingly underwhelming, and that the term “melodically poised” actually makes sense to anyone west of China. Work experience kids aside though, New Cross pups the Violets themselves are so far from the cutting edge of rock n roll they might as well be in a different time zone, lost in the fog of cheap dreams and last year's 'dark' (save us) electro-rock.

That's not to say they're intrinsically bad, just looking all over the shop for a sound that actually suits them and finding it just once, on the Blondie-on-an-imploding-spaceship stomp of 'Parting Glances'. Elsewhere they do death disco stiffly on 'Troubles of Keneat' and 90-second garage rock adequately on the pleasingly discordant 'Descend', but there's just no guts and even less glory. It doesn't help that the pleasure of guitarist Joe's striking, shuddering, effects-laden playing is offset by singer Alexis' frequent inability to do just that.

While clearly struggling within a mire of goth, post-punk and film influences, the Violets are prospectively a fine pop group; at present however, they are merely a mediocre rock band. If they want to progress, it's time to end the immature “ooh, we like Nico” schtick, stop pissing around in the gutter, and aim for the stars.