Venus Hum – The Colors of the Wheel

Venus Hum – The Colors of the Wheel / 2006 Nettwerk / 14 Tracks / http://www.venushum.com / http://www.nettwerk.com / Reviewed 25 July 2006

The style of music that Venus Hum plays reminds individuals of the halcyon days of strong females in popular music. This means that songs like “Turn Me Around” have the feel of a Shirley Manson or Fiona Apple, even as the electronic hum of the band puts them in a genre that is a contemporary to the aforementioned movement. The inclusion of short tracks to break up the full songs on “The Colors of the Wheel” is something new for pop music. The only thing that seems to be a parallel for this style is the skit in popular rap music.

Be assured, the style of these brief interludes is much less annoying. During a song like “Yes and No”, the instrumentation of early Madonna is coupled with a Pink to create something new that still pushes on previous music styles (much like The Sounds). Venus Hum thus can break through into pop music with songs like “Yes and No”; the style in which the track draws its energy is comparable to what is currently popular on all of the TV and music video stations. More than just being ready for the pop stations, Venus Hum push their own innovative sense of arrangement throughout the entirety of “The Colors in the Wheel”. The electro-fuzz of the band is something that has not been heard since the days of Girls Against Boys; while what Venus Hum does is not in the digital hardcore vein of things, it is equally far removed from current electronic music.

“Genevieve’s Wheel” is the breakout track on “The Colors in the Wheel”. The title track by default, the rich vocals laid down in the track will remind listeners of Tori Amos and Fleetwood Mac. The production of “The Colors of the Wheel” allows Venus Hum to create their own piece of art without the disc sounding too echoey or otherwise unfilled. Venus Hum skillfully mix together the electronic of their compositions with the organic vocals to make something that is quite the hybrid. “The Colors of the Wheel” is organized along these dichotomies in the sense that the act has a very radio-friendly sound but can also be given props by those fans of serious music. Venus Hum has installed themselves firmly in the minds and hearts of listeners, and it will be a long time before they fade back whence they came. Pick it up.

Top Tracks: Birds and Fishes, You Break Me Down

Rating: 6.2/10

[JMcQ]