I like whisky tastings. Especially the ones I organize with my buddies. It is an ideal environment to catch up with them and share loads of small talk and silly humor. The second best thing about those tastings is that tasting more whisky’s you’ll be able to catch certain nuances I wouldn’t normally discover when tasting a single whisky. When you taste a couple of whisky’s makes the diversity can make certain things stand out. Certain aroma’s that were or weren’t there in the previous drink.
Sometimes this works for music as well. Last year I was planning to write about Viceprez’s debut album Juger. That review never came to be. Partly because of life intervening, but also because I couldn’t pinpoint what I wanted to say about the album. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t pinpoint what I wanted to say. The album sounded very promising, but it wasn’t really there yet. What bothered me is that I gloriously failed in recognizing what was holding the record back.
Now that I have listened to their sophomore album it all falls into place. The debut lacked focus. In hindsight I would even say: it sounds like a couple EP’s by different songwriters recorded by one band. You might have guessed where this is going: that error is corrected. Don’t get me wrong, there is still enough diversity in the songwriting, there is no laser focus. Yet, Tropical Connexion sounds like a focused band that knows what they want to sound like.
Viceprez is a band from France, Germany and Italy, with band-members you might know from bands like Sport, Smudjas, Young Hearts, The Reaction and a couple more. Their Bandcamp-page tells me they are influenced by bands like Jodie Faster, Youth Avoiders, Black Flag or the Minutemen. I am not really sure if I recognize all these influences. With a bit of imagination I would say they are indeed fishing in the same pond as Youth Avoiders, although that band plays a lot faster than Viceprez. Another approach to describing their sound: I would say the majority of their sound is rooted in early eighties punk with a dash of 70’s glam rock influences for good measure (see “Love Again” if you are curious about those glam influences). The band's main vocalist sounds like she already had fifty plus takes under her belt the day of the recording. What I mean is she sounds almost unnaturally hoarse. I do like her voice though.
This record is a highly enjoyable affair that is over very quickly as there are only twenty minutes of music to be enjoyed (spread out over thirteen songs). That’s a smart tactic though, it leaves me wanting for more. This album represents a major step forward for the band. A major step forward that is mirrored in the artwork. Not only is the artwork colored this time, but there is more detail, more focus. Where I revisited the debut mainly to see if I could figure out what I thought it was lacking I expect to return to this album simply because it is a good album that deserves more spins.
