Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes--s/t
Cochon 2004
Lots of bands out there try to cop an evil or spooky vibe. Unfortunately for most of them, a majority of the time, what comes out ultimately plays as a cartoonish bad joke. That said, whenever this approach is executed properly, the results can be chilling. Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes are one of those bands who've done it right. This CDEP of theirs is a riveting listen, from the first note to the last.
Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes have such a unique thing going, it's hard to pin down a decent point of comparison that's dead on. What you get on this disc is a sinister feeling lounge vibe that borders on psychobilly, mixed with an adequate dose of punk, then art damaged to the point of full-on dementia. There is so much dark energy radiating out of this music, it may be the creepiest listen since the Necessary Evils' classic The Sicko Inside Me album or Helium's The Dirt Of Luck. For this fact, at least in terms of aesthetic, Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes resemble the Nymphs and Dagons (no, not 'the Dragons') just a bit. The best all-encompassing comparison: Opal on their masterpiece Happy Nightmare Baby. Any way you look at it, this disc rules.
Here, Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes offer three tracks for your journey into the abyss, each with something different going on. "Unicorn Song" comes off as a blending of the Final Solutions' most fractured material and the quirky pogo worthiness of X-Ray Spex. "Down By The River" turns out to be the best and sexiest of the batch--dripping with blackened voodoo mojo, this is what you'd expect to hear as a patron of a no wave martini bar in hell. The platter closing "Wild One" has an arena beat that could start a footstomping avalanche--kind of like a goth infused Gary Glitter standard. Still, darkness prevails throughout, closing things out in a proper manner.
If you're more of a "Shiny Happy People" type person, Veronica Lipgloss and the Evil Eyes will really have you screaming in horror. While certainly not uplifting, for the diehard music lover, this disc will be a thrill to lay ears on--the songs are great and there really isn't anything else that sounds like this out there today. Needless to say, three songs is not enough after getting this initial taste. Get to work, folks--keep more of this stuff coming. Entrancing.
Score this CD directly from COCHON |
