VIB GYOR have gently but firmly arrived as a national force. Under the cover of northern darkness their soulful, articulate music has reached a maturity that sounds far too accomplished to be called "debut". Nevertheless, this is technically a debut single for a band who have been gigging, recording and refining their stuff for at least two years.
"Fallen" is a triumphant burst of intelligent pop music. Dave Fendick has a voice of operatic dimensions that sweeps up into falsetto and back with perfect pitch and timing. The band crash right into and through the whole song. There are no lightweights or part-timers here! Ringing guitars, plunging bass, craftsman drumming and celestial synth noises grab the live excitement feel and shake it like a bastard. They also shimmer with studio accuracy and detail. Fans of the Nordic soundscape will feel the tingled hairs on the back of the neck moments. VIB GYOR don’t do "OK". It’s either blistering or they're not interested.
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Coupled with the equally grandiose "How Long Have I Lost" (with it's emotionally power-driven harmonies) this single carries a banner for the next Radiohead generation. It probably won't rally the sons and daughters of Oasis. But I suspect that was not the intention. So we should expect some sharply divided opinion on the VIB GYOR question.
Let it be said: this reviewer stands firmly in the supporters' enclosure.
www.myspace.com/vibgyor
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