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Rose City

Viva Voce

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Customer Reviews

A Band In Transition

I discovered Viva Voce only a few years ago, shortly after the release of "Get Yr Blood Sucked Out", and immediately I was enchanted by a sound that I had never, nor have I since, been able to find anywhere else. Anita and Kevin Robinson flow together so well, both lyrically and in composition, that it's clear they're either married or psychically linked. Having said that, "Rose City" is another step away from the psychedelic and two closer to a more traditional rock and roll sound. They had started down this road with GYBSO, but even for that album they were clearly in a special category of rock that it wouldn't be fair to label them as any one thing in particular. This album seems to have lost the trippy, twangy percussion songs like "Helicopter" and "They Never Really Wake Up", replacing them with more conventional rock ballads. This may appeal for some Viva Voce fans and garner them more traditional rock fans who are looking for an amazing male-female duo to enjoy. But it's not what I was hoping for. This album is good, and I'm sure it'll grow on me, but that unique sound I heard a few years ago seems to have been sapped out, either by the new band members, the label, or the Robinsons themselves.

It's growing on me...

I "discovered" Viva Voce at a concert in Seatlle with Silverun Pickups, where SIlversun was the opening act. What a show! I became enamored of their double album Lovers Lead the Way and The Heat Can Melt Your Brain, and then had my love affair with this engaging, interesting and highly melodic yet dissonant band cemented with Get Yr Blood Sucked Out. The former, with it's atmospheric, hypnotic and intense psychedelic rock, the latter for it's harder edged tunes like Helicopter and So Many Miles. Rose City didn't grab me quite as fast as these two albums. Perhaps because my expectations were SO high from this incredibly talented couple, I found the album competent but not so interesting. Unlike the frenetic energy of GYBSO or the heady psychedelia of the prior album(s), this was more straightforward. The first two tracks were "ok" to me, good straight forward rock, but lacking the innovation that characterized the prior albums. Then the third track, Octavia came on, with it's syncopated percussion and dreamy vocals, and I felt like I'd "come home" to the bands core of heady, energetic and innovative composition. Midnight Sun and Red Letter day are competent rock tunes, but again, didn't jump out as amazing compositions. Then Good as Gold hits, with dreamy vocals, and total rock-anthem guitar, and bliss hit. Rose City was kind of a strange '60s throwback that rather left me cold, but again Tornado Alley came on, and I felt reconnected to the band. Strong guitar, and that dreamy vocal sound, with a nice background of synths adding texture and interest, and some very unusual key progressions; a very good track. Fiora was very mellow, and harkened a bit to The Heat Will Melt Your Brain's more atmospheric and dreamy sound; both relaxing/introspective and yet interesting and deep on multiple levels. Slow Fade made an appropriate close to the album. There were a few guitar licks that made me think of George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, very beautiful, and stressing the transience of beauty and life. All in all, while this won't be my favorite Viva Voce album, it's still a well crafted, interesting albums, with some tracks that reach that exalted level of composition, lyrics, and production that really draws me into music. It's still the heart of what independent rock is all about, and I'll listen to it often, and intently.

Portlanders Do Okay...

It’s been almost a year since this album came out but we have to file it in the “Better late than never” category—especially since it’s such a vital album for the city of Portland.

On several occasions I sat in the Starbucks on Northwest Glisan Street noticing a bench on the sidewalk across the street that said “Viva Voce Rose City” on it. I wondered what it meant. From the black and white picture of someone playing a guitar I surmised that “Viva Voce” must be a band and that “Rose City” must be their latest album (or vice versa—at the time I really couldn’t tell which). Why else would it be pictured on a bench in a major city? Luckily for me, their music has finally reached my ears and I’ve been able to figure out what this group is all about.

I’ve spoken before about the soundtrack quality of music. It’s a factor that helps me feel out the validity or quality of an album. If and how well I can picture it being the soundtrack to life—life on a consistent basis or just a snapshot of it from a certain period—helps me determine how good I feel an album is overall.

Not only does this album pay homage to probably the most famous of Portland’s nicknames, but it’s also a soundtrack to the city itself. If you’re at all familiar with Portland then I challenge you to listen to this album and not be put in mind of the city on some level. Whether it be the skyline of downtown, the river, or the sprawling east side, knowing that this band is from good old PDX and that the name of this, their latest studio effort is “Rose City”, makes it difficult to not be put in mind of the things listed above.

Viva Voce was born in the state of Alabama but after a series of unfortunate events they decided to abandon ship and move out to one of the best cities in the nation—Portland, Oregon. The two mainstays of the band are the husband and wife team of Kevin and Anita Robinson. Members have come and gone, but for the majority of the group’s career they have just been a duo. Recently, however, they have doubled in size and become a four-piece act.

“Rose City” is Viva Voce’s fifth studio album and probably the one that has gotten the most attention. This is the first time I’ve ever heard this band’s music and I’m actually thankful for that this time around. In situations where you’re familiar with a band’s previous works it carries the potential to really cloud your view of their most recent work based on how you think it compares to their former albums. It was interesting/refreshing to not have that element present here.

That being said, “Rose City” in and of itself is really a quality album. I have to be honest, before I heard it I figured it was just going to be another lo-fi Northwest Indie band’s attempt at legitimacy but I found myself pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience.

The album kicks off with what ended up being my favorite track, a high-energy tune called “Devotion”. I know it sounds cheesy, but if you live in or have ever been to Portland I challenge you to cruise down Broadway on a Saturday night while listening to this song and not be proud of the Rose City. I can’t say that the rest of the album lives up to the tone that this song sets but it does come close. From the long tones of the guitar part to the cool drum groove to the simple yet satisfying bass line, this song is quite enjoyable.

Fun drum parts are frequent on this album and the second track “Die A Little” is just another example. The short but sweet song packs a punch and the drums are behind the wheel the whole time.

The song “Midnight Sun” with its frequent line, “Save it for a rainy day…” only serves to legitimize Viva Voce’s Portland identity. If you’re at all familiar with Portland’s weather then you’ll know what I mean.

If you’re not a bass player then the track “Good As Gold” will make you want to become one. Or as least just learn the part for this song…

I absolutely cannot let this review finish out without mentioning the album’s title track. Musically the song is not too memorable but what made it for me were the lyrics.

The longest track on the album is its closer, “The Slow Fade.” It proves to be exactly that: a drawl into nothingness as this album slowly and not so surely comes to a halt. I have to be honest; it’s not exactly the ending I was hoping for to an album with this much potential.

Overall Viva Voce does Oregon and the entire Pacific Northwest proud with this album. Don’t expect to see them on MTV or VH1 anytime soon, but something tells me that being from Portland that’s not going to matter to them too much anyway.

Biography

Formed: 1998 in Muscle Shoals, AL

Genre: Alternative

Years Active: '00s, '10s

Kevin Robinson (drums) and Anita Robinson (vocals/guitars) formed the indie rock outfit Viva Voce in their native Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in 1998. Viva Voce (pronounced VEE-vah-VOH-chay) is the Italian definition for "by word of mouth." Hooray for Now marked the husband-and-wife duo's first album before the year's end. Headlining club dates and performing support gigs for Sunny Day Real Estate followed into 1999. As they developed their guitar-driven indie pop, Viva Voce left their Southern abode...
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