Quantcast
43.9 F
Chicago
Sponsor Message

VICTORIAN HALLS – CHARLATAN (Album Review)

Filed Under:

Published:

This article is more than 13 years old and may not have been updated since our last site redesign. It may contain outdated information or could be missing images.

victorianhallscoverThere’s something slightly evil brewing just beneath the surface of CHARLATAN, the Victory Records debut from Chicago’s VICTORIAN HALLS. Stealthily working it’s way underneath the danceable pop-rock hooks is a twisted new-wave groove of electronic adrenaline that fuels the album to unexpected heights. In fact, not since THE FAINT released DANSE MACABRE in 2001 has a band in this sonic corner gotten the mix this right.

Girls Kiss Girls welcomes listeners’ ears with just enough of the off-kilter vocals to hook, right before blasting into a straight-up rock chorus followed-up by a thumping dance groove. Burn Me Up Like A Wax-Kissed Letteris by far one of the heaviest songs to present itself, not in a metallic way – but in the way that Refused used to punish their instruments for the sonic pleasures of their audience. A Crush is a Crush may not be the strongest track on the album, but it’s the most tailor-made for the mainstream and a smart choice for the first single from this set.

Into the second half of CHARLATAN there’s quality garage-rock riffage like the Jon Spencer-esque swagger ofLa Di Da, along with a dash of the vaudeville stylings that infected the works of Creature Feature and Panic at the Disco, as evident on tracks like Dear, This is Desperate.

Bottom Line: VICTORIAN HALLS have cherry-picked the finest ingredients from the worlds of post-punk, new-wave, and indie rock to create a tasty cocktail that could easily lead to a quick addiction.

Rating: 4/5

The Debut of the RUN DMC x Igloo Cooler Collection | Shop Now

Recent Stories:

Sponsor Message

The Toy Book:

Sponsor Message

Rock Father Rides:

Sponsor Message
Entertainment Earth
Sponsor Message
Sponsor Message Fandango Gift Cards