Revulva - Revulva - Album Review: Revulva
Reading the description of this artist before I embarked on this review, I wasn’t sure what to expect by a "hedonistic whirlwind of acid jazz, Avant-funk, disco, AOR, and art pop." Now that I know, I’ve found one of my new favourites. The vibes are immaculate, the grooves enthralling, and the musicianship is even better.
As it mentions in the title, I am of course talking about the self-titled album from Revulva. The femme fronted 8-piece from Wellington have released a few singles and an EP to date, now the time has come for their first full album release.
The 10-track joyride opens with the grooves of So Fine. With silky guitar licks, snappy drums, ethereal vocals and more. I feel like I’m being beckoned to a conversation pit in the 70's or strutting down a street in New York in a massively oversized coat. Either way, it just feels cool.
The horn section of Revulva definitely brought their A-game too. Showcased nicely on tracks like Landlord, Bush Bash and Hot Jam. Speaking of Bush Bash, expect some curious looks if you’re playing that intro on a speaker like I did. A standout track on this album for me was Boing Flip, Phoebe Johnson’s vocals are my favourite here. The song is just fun, and is that a flute solo? I mean come on, yes!
Revulva as a whole, is dripping with funk, oozing sexuality, groove, and style. While also not being afraid to speak their minds. A spoken word outro to Landlord being a prime example. With social commentary and a scathing review of a capitalist worldview. Revulva will have you dancing your way to a political awakening.
All in all, putting 8 of the country's most proficient musicians together, a masterpiece was bound to be the result. So grab yourself a Pina Colada, find a waterbed, and glide into the funky world of Revulva. This album will absolutely be going into my regular rotation, and I can't wait for the chance to experience the magic live.
Revulva was recorded at Lee Prebble’s Surgery Studios in Wellington, NZ. Revulva consists of: Phoebe Johnson, Lily Rose Shaw, Tobias Leman, Hector McLachlan, Kaito Walley, Lennox Grootjans, Misty Cooke, and Zane Hawkins.
About Revulva
Described by Rolling Stone Australia as “strangely alluring,” the femme-fronted eight-piece formed in Wellington under the de facto leadership of the composer, lyricist, bassist and vocalist Phoebe Johnson in 2019. Since then, Johnson and her clown van full of hyper-busy musical collaborators, Lily Rose Shaw, Toby Leman, Hector McLachlan, Kaito Walley, Lennox Grootjans, Mysty Cooke, and Zane Hawkins, have won over bar, nightclub and festival audiences across New Zealand.
Taking cues from Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Jamiroquai, Steely Dan, Herbie Hancock, Minnie Ripperton and Prince, Revulva reimagines the anything-goes energy of New York City’s 1970's downtown scene and London’s 1990's funk and soul renaissance through an antipodean lens informed by the deadpan humour and the realities of 21st-century life in New Zealand. The result is a hedonistic whirlwind of acid jazz, avant-funk, disco, AOR and art-pop, where polished playing leaves room for improvisation in the heat of the moment, and real statements come bundled up with just enough laughs to soften the snarl.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Revulva
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