Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Virus - Carheart Review

Virus Carheart 2003

Virus Bandcamp Site

A fantastic mix of distortion, and off time rhythms. The vocals really throws the listener into a auditory exposure to film noir atmospheres. Texturally speaking this hangs in my head. The title track brings back a familiar modern music vibe of the mid to late 80s, while also harkening back to a lost jazz era. It works I think because this isn't as familiar to the senses.

Though I'm ten years late to this record, I've gone on and learned about the band, its history, and some of the more unique qualities that I think give this a standout from the pack. In the last few years I've hit a wall of sorts in my listening experiences, and not having a lot of great successes finding what really fits my palate has really been a frustrating endeavor.  

Virus bridges this gap for me, and I've come to accept this will be the norm. Part of it is age, along with a finer fringe of my exposure and having great distances (because I don't have the ability to really be there). I've really leaned into the European sound, and I've liked what I've heard, thusly why I've been more accustomed to this idiom in the last few years. With Carheart I feel I've come full circle as a listener as well.

Carheart is dreamy and oozes large doses of twangy, and has a crisp off center vibe. This record has this scenic presence which sticks to your senses, and though there hints and nods to Ved Buens Ende all over it, the really interesting part is the missing blast beat motifs. The wispy or scratchy vocals are now a totally new beast, each track has a different ambient flair. I have gone back and forth on whether this is my favorite of the Virus lore, and I'm leaning towards being a continuation that flows into The Black Flux. Carheart is a record I've sunk into and have enjoyed immensely. Thanks for reading.


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