Viva K - S/T / 2005 Stinky Records / 12 Tracks / / http://www.stinkyrecords.com / Reviewed 04 September 2005

The industrial side of Viva K is shown during the opening to this self-titled disc, on a little track called “Guru”. Much like industrial’s relation goth, there seems to be more than a minor amount of Middle Eastern music influencing the track, really providing another vocal presence to work at crossroads with Ween. The sound that is first expounded upon during “Guru” is continued throughout the rest of the disc; the only thing that seems to change is the middle Eastern presence. Later tracks have Ween move into places that have only been tramped by Lolita Storm (Dekoder) and L7 (Does It Matter?). With a tremendous amount of distortion present on every track, Viva K really seems to be disconnected from the bulk of their listeners, using the fuzz to hide from their listeners. The middle Eastern influence comes back during tracks like “We Are Safe”, but the tepid vocals laid down on the track seem to be as emotionally involved as what half-hearted “Revolution” that Cher and Madonna are currently pursuing.

This claim for pop relevancy continues into the disc’s half-way mark, “Light Light Light”, a dance track that is swaddled by the detached guitars presence on “Elevation”-era U2. The distortion does subside at points, but really during those points in which the dominating voice of Ween seems to be the most bare. This is especially prevalent during the anemic “Who You Are”, where Ween’s voice begins to really fall into a monotone. The monotone replaces the former fuzz barrier and really makes Viva K feel like a coin-operated band (like those animatronic bands at Chuck E. Cheese), with no emotional investment in the music they play or the crowd that amasses.

The repetition hits new highs with the sequenced beats and oft-heard lyrical lines of “Splendour”; Viva K’s downfall here seems to be the fact that Ween takes too much time trying to make eir voice be another instrument, struggling to find harmony even as eir lyrical abilities atrophy into the pseudo-scat singing present on “Splendor”. The re-visitation of the early nineties (think The Smiths and The Cure) that seem to be a major inspiration for Viva K really would have been salvageable if there were musical ties to the current period. Having a vocalist with more of a personality would have benefited the band immensely, as well. As it is, there are a number of tracks on this self-titled album that seem perfectly preened for pop radio, but not a one can honestly say that they have the hooks necessary to succeed on any musical media.

Top Tracks: Dekoded, We Are Safe

Rating: 3.1/10