Virginia:
Fierce For The Night (Ostgut-Ton)
Virginia’s
first full-length album for the esteemed Ostgut-Ton imprint
(affiliated with Panoramabar in Berlin, perhaps the epicenter of all
things techno in Europe) is a breath of fresh air, incorporating the
sonic fidelity of many of the label’s talents but with an ear and
nostalgia for vocal dance music of the past. The opening few cuts
feel indebted to vintage freestyle and synthy R&B from the 80s,
with “Bally Linny” peppered with horn stabs and an anthemic
refrain and “1977” and “Obstacle” feeling like dead ringers
for mid-80s Prince girl group production. What’s most satisfying
about Fierce For The Night is that it really does traverse a broad
range of sounds and styles, all while feeling cohesive by virtue of
spot-on production and Virginia’s voice. So while “1977” is very
different from the uptempo punch of a techy house cut like “Funkert,”
they both feel right at home given the album’s smart sequencing.
Fierce For The Night by Virginia
It’s
only in the center of the album that I find my attention wandering;
“Believe in Time” and “Subdued Colors” slow things down, no
doubt for some variety, and while they are certainly not bad at all,
I find myself prone to pushing ahead to the chunkier and more rousing
tracks that comprise the last act of the album. To my ears it’s a
really smart and slick amalgamation of throwback sounds with an ear
for what’s happening now. Easily my favorite vocal dance album of
recent years, often downright infectious and with a fantastic, rich
range of sound that is likely to sound just as good on a huge PA as
on headphones.
Buy it: Bandcamp
0 Comments