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Review: VoirVoir – There Are No Good Goodbyes

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Artist: VoirVoir
Album: There Are No Good Goodbyes
Genre: Indie rock
Label: Fleeting Youth Records

Bethlehem’s own VoirVoir has had quite a year. Not only did the indie rockers open for genre kings The Flaming Lips at Musikfest, but they recently took a trip down Austin, TX, performing at the world-famous SXSW in March.

Surely, they’ll keep the gained momentum going when their album, “There Are No Good Goodbyes,” is re-released this year on Fleeting Youth Records. The ten-track offering provides rich soundscapes and fresh ideas, giving listeners a taste of the band as never heard before.

The album features plenty of high-energy moments like album opener, “I Wanna,” a youthful track fit to begin the soundtrack for a devil-may-care night drive. Meanwhile, the heavier, rock-driven “Let’s Not” kicks things into high gear, with brief spells from its nicely-contrasting, dreamy chorus.

“There Are No Good Goodbyes” features plenty more atmospheric moments. The title track, in particular, carries a moody, dark ambiance, while “His Last Sound” is enriched by beautiful vocal harmonies and standout guitar work.

Produced to bring out a full, ambient sound, “There Are No Good Goodbyes” sends VoirVoir heading in an exciting direction – one that causes the ears to stay engaged and the mind enlightened.

Review: The Mad Sugars – Amateur Hour EP

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Artist: The Mad Sugars
Release: Amateur Hour EP (LISTEN)
Genre: Rock and/or Roll
Release Date: Jun. 23, 2015

When we last left The Mad Sugars, they had just come out with a three-track EP appropriately titled “Just a Taste.” Indeed, it was just a taste of what Adam Gruss and company would find themselves capable. Their latest effort, the “Amateur Hour EP,” signals a sonic evolution for the New York-based dance rock outfit.

Opening with the hooky “Matchmaker,” and featuring enhanced versions of “Just a Taste” holdovers “Just Keep Dancing” and “How She Likes It,” the record’s sound is fuller and more complex than its predecessor. Backing vocalists Sarah Golden and Anna Ritter – featured for quite some time during live performances – make their recording debut and find themselves providing well-balanced support for Gruss, who seems to have found a confident voice as a singer and lyricist on this six-track offering.

It’s fair to note that, even through the travails of nightlife that recur in Gruss’ lyrics, this record is meant to get you dancing. Even “The More You Spill,” surely the EP’s most overtly dark track, has a Franz Ferdinand-esque beat and bass groove that will get the staunchest of wallflowers nodding along. The track also features some stellar guitar work from longtime Gruss collaborator Dan Callas, which is hazy in all the right ways as it tells the tale of a night gone awry.

All in all, The Mad Sugars have a fun, mostly tongue-in-cheek record that pushes them beyond “Amateur Hour” and into the big leagues. Bring your dancing shoes and sense of humor, and you’ll find yourself going back for “Another,” again and again.

Track listing:
1. Matchmaker
2. Queen of the Club
3. Just Keep Dancing
4. Another
5. The More You Spill
6. How She Likes It

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