Album Review: Revulva

Reading the description of this artist before I embarked on this review, I wasn’t sure what to expect by a “hedonistic whirlwind of acid jazz, Avant-funk, disco, AOR, and art pop.” Now that I know, I’ve found one of my new favourites. The vibes are immaculate, the grooves enthralling, and the musicianship is even better.

As it mentions in the title, I am of course talking about the self-titled album from Revulva. The femme fronted 8-piece from Wellington have released a few singles and an EP to date, now the time has come for their first full album release.

The 10-track joyride opens with the grooves of So Fine. With silky guitar licks, snappy drums, ethereal vocals and more. I feel like I’m being beckoned to a conversation pit in the 70’s or strutting down a street in New York in a massively oversized coat. Either way, it just feels cool.

The horn section of Revulva definitely brought their A-game too. Showcased nicely on tracks like Landlord, Bush Bash and Hot Jam. Speaking of Bush Bash, expect some curious looks if you’re playing that intro on a speaker like I did. A standout track on this album for me was Boing Flip, Phoebe Johnson’s vocals are my favourite here. The song is just fun, and is that a flute solo? I mean come on, yes!

Revulva as a whole, is dripping with funk, oozing sexuality, groove, and style. While also not being afraid to speak their minds. A spoken word outro to Landlord being a prime example. With social commentary and a scathing review of a capitalist worldview. Revulva will have you dancing your way to a political awakening.

All in all, putting 8 of the country’s most proficient musicians together, a masterpiece was bound to be the result. So grab yourself a Pina Colada, find a waterbed, and glide into the funky world of Revulva. This album will absolutely be going into my regular rotation, and I can’t wait for the chance to experience the magic live.

Revulva was recorded at Lee Prebble’s Surgery Studios in Wellington, NZ. Revulva consists of: Phoebe Johnson, Lily Rose Shaw, Tobias Leman, Hector McLachlan, Kaito Walley, Lennox Grootjans, Misty Cooke, and Zane Hawkins.