ALBUM REVIEWS
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ALBUM REVIEWS |
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The Victorian English Gentlemens’ Club
LOVE ON AN OIL RIG THIS IS FAKE DIY RECORDS 9.14.09 @www.vanguard-online.co.uk
An unusual record this, in as much as it sounds both the same and totally different as you may expect it to – and, for a change, the opening track is indeed a statement of intent as it’s noisy, raucous and not entirely tuneful. Although it does, at least, get straight to the point by announcing the album title – something that is never alluded to again. On with the music proper, and “Parrot” is a squirming pile of wet bass, electro melody, and Klaxons-like vocals, with the group half singing and half shouting. It soon becomes clear that this is something of a trademark of the band, with the vocals so raw you can almost hear their throats being ripped apart by the sheer energy of shouting. “Watching The Burglars” has a pounding drumbeat, and an unusual arrangement – there are female voices backing a male lead, but the pitches are strange and ear-catching. It’s not uncomfortable listening, but it’s certainly on the very edges of what I’d consider to be comfortable. The same can be said of “Bored in Belgium”, the band’s next single. “Women versus Children” is summed up beautifully by the chorus line ‘talk about confusing’. The refrain in the background (‘nerves and swimming pools and that’) totally throws the story up in the air, and there’s very little to use to try and get a hang of the story. It’s almost like you’re splashing around in said swimming pool, and somebody throws you a human-sized jelly baby for support; I just don’t know what to make of it! “God Save Us From Being So Primitive” wins the prize for most fitting song title of the year. The song itself is very primitive – not exactly surprising given the stripped-down sound of its brethren – and the lyrics just seem to be ruminating on this. Very po-mo. There is something rather Victorian about the sound of TVEGC, but I can’t put my finger on what exactly it is – I think it’s the combination of a stark simplicity of lyrics and vocals, mixed with a raw sound and jaunty tunes. The sound evokes a gothic feel, not unlike what you would expect to have experienced in music halls in the late 1800s, while, as just mentioned, there’s a post-modern thread that runs through the entire album. It’s self-aware to the point that the band have actually written a song about how shit the production is! I enjoyed this album, but it’s not good enough to make it into my top 32GB, so won’t be made portable. A good album to bring out if you either want to listen to something unusual, or just want to look avant-garde. www.thevictorianenglishgentlemensclub.co.uk |
