Here we have the debut EP from Wellington-based octet {Revulva} which contains six songs at 27 minutes in length, three of which have been released as singles. They describe their music as “nu-jazz, nu-pop, nu-wave” which puts me at something of a loss, as when I think of the word “nu” I tend to put it in front of “metal” which gives us Slipknot et al. In fact, the more I listened to this the more I realised there was actually very little “new” about it, and instead this was very retro indeed. Putting the very clear production (mixed by Toby Lloyd of Tiny Triumph Recordings and mastered by Chris Chetland of KOG Studios, so you know how good it is) to one side, if someone had played this to me and asked me to define a period I would have said it was from the late Seventies/early Eighties, and musically it has some hints of disco, plenty of late Seventies funk and soul, combined with slow jazz and Latin.
Each song revolves around the wonderfully warm and unflustered female vocals which always take just the right amount of time and never feel rushed, but rather that Phoebe is always in total control. The keyboards are wonderfully dated, as is the guitar, and they combine with the horn section to create something which has real depth and breadth. This is music to relax into, as if being swaddled in a warm blanket, or cosying up in front of a roaring fire with a glass of cocoa and the lights off. This will give the listener to concentrate on the lyrics which tell the story of what it’s like to be a young woman navigating the music industry and life. The EP covers a wide range of issues from the trials and tribulations of managing night life and parties, to workplace misogyny and the power of menstruation.
While the music is polished, it is never taken too far, and one knows here is a band who can be raw and blazing when they wish to be, just that this is not the right time. I hope these guys make it up to Auckland at some point as this is an outfit I would really like to check out, as their poise and grace marks them out as seasoned performers. Refined but not sanitised, this is soulful music with a lot to offer.
Rating: 8/10
