Viva Voce - Get Yr Blood Sucked Out

Viva Voce is comprised of the husband-and-wife duo Kevin and Anita Robinson. Anita handles the guitar work, Kevin mans the skins, and they share vocal duties. Their upcoming Barsuk release, Get Yr Blood Sucked Out, will hit stores September 12th. The new album is a pleasant mix of a variety of influences-- from classic psychedelic guitar rock ("Beliver", "When Planets Collide", "So Many Miles", "Faster Than a Dead Horse") to shoegaze pop ("Drown Them Out", "Special Thing"). Get Yr Blood Sucked Out is a dark and sexually-charged affair and is more of a "loud" rock album than the usual release from a band on Barsuk's roster.

The album starts strong with "Believer", a straight-ahead acoustic guitar and heavy-handed percussion stomper with occasional harmonica, fuzzed-out guitar leads, and subtle vocal harmonies. "When the Planets Collide" and first single "From the Devil Himself" keep the rock a-comin' and the handclaps and guitar work on the latter transition nicely into one of the album's more pop-orientated numbers, the pretty "Drown Them Out".

Following an instrumental interlude, "So Many Miles" -- an 8 minute+ noise rock jam -- again brings the distorted guitar leads to the forefront and features a tasty trumpet figure about 4 minutes in. "We Do Not Fuck Around" begins with Kevin's plaintive piano and vocal work and slowly builds until the one line chorus hits you over the head with its brilliant simplicity. The last half of the album is highlighted by the downbeat Kevin sung pop dittes "Special Thing" (on which he sounds reminiscent of Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne) and "Never Be Like Yesterday".

Get Yr Blood Sucked Out grinds to a halt on the last two tracks. "Helicopter" is too similar to a number of the album's other rockers and has a lackluster vocal melody and uninspired guitar riffing which render it flat and vaguely monotonous. When they sing, "just keeps going on and on" near the end of the track, the line hits a little too close to home. The (mostly) instrumental closing number isn't bad, but comes across as somewhat of an afterthought and unnecessary filler.

Overall, a very solid effort with a few standout tracks. The album drags a bit in places but has enough bright spots to keep you coming back for repeated listens. HIGHLIGHTS: "Believer", "From the Devil Himself", "We Do Not Fuck Around"


MP3: Viva Voce - "Believer"
MP3: Viva Voce - "When Planets Collide"
MP3: Viva Voce - "We Do Not Fuck Around"


Buy the album here.

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Viva Voce will hit the road with Silversun Pickups in the fall:

September
28 - Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco, CA
29 - Howie and Sons - Visalia, CA
30 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA

October
1 - Modified - Phoenix, AZ
3 - Emo's - Austin, TX
4 - Opolis - Norman, OK
5 - Randy Bacon Gallery - Springfield, MO
7 - Courtyard Cafe - Urbana, IL
8 - Southgate House - Newport, KY*
10 - Iota Club and Cafe - Arlington, VA
11 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
12 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
13 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
15 - Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA
16 - The Bug Jar - Rochester, NY
17 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON
18 - The Lime Spider - Akron, OH
20 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
21 - Maintenance Shop - Ames, IA
24 - Hi Dive - Denver, CO
26 - Neurolux - Boise, ID
28 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR


MP3: Silversun Pickups - "Well Thought Out Twinkles"