“Hitting the Ground, a bad tempered and introspective rant – underpinned by an unholy mix of gloomy chords and mid-70s synths – think of Cluster jamming with the Mary Chain and you are about there.
”
“Hitting the Ground, a bad tempered and introspective rant – underpinned by an unholy mix of gloomy chords and mid-70s synths – think of Cluster jamming with the Mary Chain and you are about there.
“
Voltage – Hitting the Ground EP
There are only 6 tracks here, but no matter I like this disc a lot. I like its sullenness, its irritable restraint, the monolithic insistence on doing one thing at a time. Add all these personality traits to the disc’s pop sensibilities and crystal production and you have a formula that should go somewhere. It is refreshing that all the songs are so short and snappy. If they had lasted any longer everything would have been rather formulaic in my opinion. Sounds are nicked from good sources – I could have sworn that the riff on Lucky Streak is from Movement era New Order, whereas that song’s keyboards and effects don’t half remind one of Mr. J. Cope. Dancing to a Higher Life brings the rather terrifying image of Eurasure to mind, though the accompanying weak reedy guitar fuzz is incredibly appealing and redeems the track somewhat.
The Way is yet another slab of semi articulate stoner glam-stomping. I love these deliberate Brontosaurus-speed chord changes, just like the Sweet at 17rpm or walking through a muddy field in wellies.
Monkey Pushing rather passed me by I’m afraid, but that was more than made up by Hitting the Ground, a bad tempered and introspective rant – underpinned by an unholy mix of gloomy chords and mid-70s synths – think of Cluster jamming with the Mary Chain and you are about there.
The last song, Running up the Hill is a meditative Mary Chain work-out, the clear nature of the production allows some very pleasant additional sonic noodling alongside the basic track.
Yep, in conclusion, it’s very good indeed. You get the sense that Voltage are still trying to define heir sound, holding back on the bit of oompf for a longer player. They are ones to watch for sure.
Words: Richard Foster.
Voltage – Hitting the Ground EP is available from www.mdmr.nl