The Violets
Mirror Mirror (Angular)
~review by Uncle Nemesis

Three songs on seven inches of vinyl from this most feisty bunch of London post-punkers, and all of them have the crunch of fresh lettuce and the bite of a stroppy cat.

'Mirror Mirror' is as taut as an elastic band being stretched to its limit, wound up and pounding, energy under pressure. Drums and guitar fight it out for space and dominance while the vocals stride and stomp and squall over the top with absolute confidence and control. It's as clangourous as a heap of scrap metal falling on the heads of The Slits and Siouxsie, and so unrepentantly short and sharp there's nothing for it but to stick the stylus straight back in the run-in groove and immediately play it again.

'Hiero' is a loping exercise in atmosphere, built on a rhythm that constantly threatens to pitch head-first into the dubwize zone, but never quite tips over the edge. Here The Violets once more wind up the tension - the guitar gets fuzzy and dirty, the drums blam and batter, and the vocal asserts itself over the rhythm while also inserting itself into your head. It's all the more effective because the innocent listener is led to believe that the song will accelerate into a mad punky rush any minute - but the band always keep the leash tight.

Ah, now here comes the mad punky rush. 'Hard Hammer' gives it to us straight between the eyes, a brief burst of thrashing and bashing that's gone almost as soon as it arrives. A sudden magnesium flare of a song, one big surge of energy and then that's yer lot. The Violets certainly have the knack of leaving us wanting more.

If you've got a post-punk bone in your body, this is a band that you really should check out. It seems the single is distrubuted around assorted UK indie outlets, so if you have a half-decent independent record shop nearby, it should be readily available. If  that's not an option, you can mail order the single from the band's website, which also has a few downloads on offer (including a video for 'Mirror Mirror') should you prefer to consume the music in virtual form. Whichever option you go for, I'll guarantee your gramophone, hard drive, and life will be much enlivened by the presence of The Violets.

The tunestack:
Mirror Mirror
Hiero
Hard Hammer

The players:
Alixus: Vocals
Joe: Guitar
Andrew: Drums

The Violets' website:  http://www.theviolets.co.uk
The Violets on Myspace:  http://www.myspace.com/thevioletsuk
Angular, The Violets' label:  http://www.angularrecords.co.uk
 

12/30/05