Posted on: April 21, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

There are a number of comparisons to be made between Blue Velvet and the Velvet Underground, in that the interesting compositions that start out the track (during “Docile 1” are fairly cold while still being very interesting. The drums are bold and brash, and while they may sound a little too assertive in their context, they work well.

The band is able to work this distinct sound to their advantage, and while Blue Velvet may not be playing a style of music that is at the cutting edge of rock, they provide listeners with something that is firmly entrenched in the Led Zeppelin meets Patty Smith realm of things from yesteryear. The band does not even need to go into the vocal realm of things for their first two iterations of “Docile”. The intricate arrangements of Blue Velvet during these tracks is more than enough to keep individuals tuned in to the rest of this EP, if not eagerly anticipating what the band still has up their sleeve for the next two tracks. “Blue Cannot” continues with the band’s high quality of music, while adding to their general sound a very country-type of feeling.

In a way, the fusion of country music with a Native American set of instrumentation (tribal drums and a maraca-type of sound) brings listeners into an entirely new realm for Blue Velvet. The one thing individuals should pay attention to is that the band continually falls back on specific arrangements that have already been played during a track, only changing up the style slightly. The disc finishes off with “Untitled (Two)”, and Blue Velvet even adds more to their sound with the inclusion of very Alice Donut-like horns to their traditional indie-rock style. Blue Velvet always comes up with interesting arrangements to string their listeners along with. Most bands need a set of vocals to provide the extra spark needed to keep listeners listening, but Blue Velvet makes individuals think with each arrangement that they commit to disc on “Four Songs”. I have no doubt that they could move to a more full-length disc without losing any of the allure or impressive style that made them so memorable on this EP. Blue Velvet is yet another band that Phratry has found hiding out amongst the millions of acts out on the market, and the act will make it bigger in the years to come. Just give them a few years, and they will be sharing stages with the Flaming Lips and others.

Top Track: Untitled (Two)

Rating: 6.8/10

Blue Velvet – Four Songs / 2006 Phratry / 4 Tracks / http://www.bluevelvet.org / http://www.phratryrecords.com / Reviewed 04 September 2006

[JMcQ]

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