After a brief hiatus, the Portland, OR duo known as Viva Voce decided to get back together (and add two more members) to record a follow up to their well-received 2006 album Get Yr Blood Sucked Out. They were able to accomplish this in less than a month so their new album Rose City has a lo-fi recording feel to it. That is not to say that it sounds like an 8-track recording done in someone's bedroom. It does, however, have a very haunting feel to it because of the lower production values ("Red Letter Day" has a very creepy western-ish feel to it). Whereas the prior effort had a more stoner rock quality to it ("Tornado Alley" sounds as if it were a leftover from Get Yr Blood Sucked Out), Rose City hits on all the influences that permeated their earlier releases: psychedelic, pop, and even a little R & B ("Good as Gold" even comes with the always enjoyable handclaps). During the album's middle portion, Anita Robinson channels her mid-90s alt-rock ghosts to write some great tunes (even giving a shoutout to their hometown Portland (aka the Rose City) on the aptly titled "Rose City"). Things slow down near the end to nicely wind the album up with the acoustic driven "Flora" (complete with a piano which sounds transported from an 1880s bar) and the eerie "The Slow Fade." For an album thrown together so quickly, it's pretty damn impressive that Viva Voce was able to create something that is varied (in its styles) yet cohesive (in its order and listenability).
3.9/5.0
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