Click here for photos of Violens at Great Scott in Allston, MA on April 29th, 2012 in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery
Click here for QRO’s review of Violens at Terminal 5 in New York, NY on March 28th, 2012
Click here for photos of Violens at CMJ 2009 in New York, NY in the QRO Concert Photo Gallery
In the overflowing Brooklyn music scene, there’s a rough divide between the harder-rocking garage acts and the airier, prettier ones (so far the keyboard-based dubstep & chillwave sounds still seem bigger in the rest of the country & the U.K. than in NYC). Violens always hewed a bit more towards the brighter sounds, starting with 2009 debut v EP (QRO review), but didn’t have their foot firmly in the camp with 2010’s full-length debut, Amoral. However, with sophomore release True, they definitely go towards the sun & the sky – but are best when there’s still some rock underneath.
Unlike the over-atmospherics of borough-mates like Chairlift (QRO album review), Violens put something behind their airs, like the press on "Der Microarc" or the rock of "Totally True". "All Night Low" sees the band at their speediest, but still with an atmosphere above it all. It reminds of another Brooklyn band, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (QRO live review) – not a distant comparison, considering Pains’ drummer has played bass for Violens (QRO live review). Indeed, there is still probably too much air in True – instrumental interludes "Lavender Forces" and "Lucent Caries" don’t add anything, while "Sariza Spring" turns the volume down a little too low.
Violens has struggled somewhat to truly standout in Brooklyn (a hard place to musically standout in), and True might not be the record that does it, as it lacks true standout tracks. But it’s a nice album from another nice Brooklyn band.
MP3 Stream: "All Night Low"
