The Velvet Ants - Solt Olio (Zeptune Records)
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| The Velvet Ants - Solt Olio |
I have come to the conclusion
that Ian Margolycz, Singer/Guitarist with the Velvet Ants, is something of a sociopath. According to the
band's Facebook page, the trio's line-up has changed four times since 2007 with
Ian as the only remaining original member, leading me to believe he is a
talented musician but a massive pain in the ass. The blissed-out, surfer cool
of opening tracks 'Find You', 'Cardigan's Fable' and 'KP (Return of Youth)' suggest
that Margolycz and co. are influenced by the sawn-off indie-pop fuzz of Sonic
Youth or Placebo. But tracks like 'What If I' and 'Mirror Matches' are much more
like Redd Kross, the Beach Boys or the more mellow moments of latter day
Beatles. Meanwhile the acoustic driven menace of 'Idle Tears' has an altogether
more brooding, Batman soundtrack-esque feel to it.
The intriguingly title 'The
Hornet's Eye Is Grey' is a dreamy, warm summer's day of a tune, the kind Swim
Deep did so well with in 2013. By contrast, 'Digitalis' is an almost punk-ish
with stabbing drums and an almost futuristic urgency. This is smart, eclectic
and genuinely interesting stuff that, like an onion, has multiple layers and,
potentially, the ability to make you cry. 'Over Harbors' is essentially a dark,
fuzzy, shoe-gaze of a romp that feels oh so good while 'Barricada Rota' is a
mellower, more sombre affair with delightful Lemonheads drums and a smooth,
sparse bass line. 'Save Room For The Water' is a straight-up grunge beast with
dark tinges and final track 'My Alibi' is a Scandinavian indie feeling tune
that infused with organs and country guitars. The Velvet Ants obviously have
talent but their longevity will depend entirely on whether main-man Ian can
attract a new set of band mates or not - because Jordan and Eric will surely
tire of him soon.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/velvetants