Posted on: October 6, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Sabrosa Purr really purveys a style of hyper-emotional dream-pop that is as bipolar as it is impressive. “By The Water” starts with a guitar line that does not shine, but rapidly moves into a psychedelic, trippy style that also gives away to a distorted, screamed-out type of rock that has much more to do with Marilyn Manson than Sixpence None The Richer. The continual shifting through genres present during “By The Water” is perhaps what will get the most individuals interested in Sabrosa Purr; there are also sections during this track that approximate Santana-style guitar riffs, and instead of standing above the track they give “By The Water” yet another tool in which to ensnare listeners.

Starting off “The Lovely People” with a guitar riff that seems pulled out of Dexter’s guitar (The Offspring), the familiar brand of dichotomous Manson/dreamy vocals really makes this track a student of the seventies Detroit rock movement. While the track has a contemporary feel, there is no doubt that Sabrosa Purr have quite the stack of Iggy Pop and MC5 albums at their homes. The fact that such a raucous track in “The Lovely People” could be followed so rapidly by “All The Leaves” still is shocking even when one considers that this diverse, eclectic sound has been the hallmark of the band for over half the disc. “All The Leaves” allows the band the move away from an aural assault and instead turns the disc into a weapon of arranged destruction; there are so many things happening at any one given time during this track that listeners’ heads will explode trying to be cognizant of all the processes that are occurring. A unity is struck for “God Damn You”, a track that skillfully ties together the dreamy and harder-rock elements present in prior tracks into a song that uses a brooding, drawn-out sound (a la Jane’s Addiction) that never fails to impress.

The overall sound of “Music from the Violet Room” is never trite or done to death; Sabrosa Purr is a band that will succeed primarily on the fact that listeners will buy albums not knowing what to expect from the band. With tracks that thread goth-rock with The Doors (“Pink”), Sabrosa Purr’s Frankenstein’s monsters should give listeners much to talk about. The disc does not try to reach out to the radio audiences, and we can only hope that it will not get lost amonst the thousands of CDs that come out this year. “Music from the Violet Room” is atmospheric, dark and fun.

Top Tracks: Pink, By The Water

Rating: 5.5/10

Sabrosa Purr – Music from the Violet Room / 2005 Dangerbird / 8 Tracks / http://www.sabrosapurr.com / http://www.dangerbirdrecords.com/ Reviewed 04 November 2005

[JMcQ]

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