Violent Soho - Waco. Album Review
There's an undeniable 90's revival going on in punk/rock right now with the likes of Basement, Title Fight and Nothing reviving genres such as grunge, emo, shoegaze etc. These styles of music which were birthed or at their peak in the 90's, for whatever reason, are once again compelling to rock fans in the present. Australian four-piece Violent Soho have been one of the strongest bands to grace this resurgence with their loud and dynamic indie rock which takes influence from the likes of Dinosaur JR, Nirvana and The Pixies and is also somewhat life-affirming with such a free spirited nature to their songs. Their newest album 'Waco' sees them continue down their path of crafting fuzzy bangers.
Opener 'How To Taste' starts with nice breezy guitar noodling before colossal distorted riffing and screaming comes in, but remains feel good being at a pace that's lively but not in any rush. The vocals switch between being soothing and mucky but constantly feel playful and fun. This is what the majority of 'Waco' is like, excitable, bouncy guitar music. Violent Soho's sound is a straightforward one with the simple ingredients of quiet/loud dynamics, a summer-evening-like atmosphere and simple, but energetic riffing. However, it's the band's spontaneous approach to songwriting and their feisty spirit that really ignite the songs.
Across this record you just have a collection of solid vigorous tracks. 'Like Soda' has a 'don't give a f*ck' attitude all over it with vocalist Luke Boerdam repeating 'we don't mind, we don't care, we'll be here forever' and easy-going instrumentation to enhance the carefree spirit of the song. 'Slow Wave' has an early Foo Fighters vibe in the guitars the way melodic chords are played with much ferocity and 'Evergreen' has the most nails chorus on the album thanks to a speedy, but stompy riff where lower notes get much attention.
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