Single Review: Coffee

Something a little different landed on my desk this morning, a new release from a Wellington rock trio Viices featuring Jake, Geordie, and Will.

I’ve not heard Viices before, so I thought I’d read a few of their previous reviews and see if I could form a picture of what they might sound like.

The words ‘Indie’ and ‘Earworm’ popped up a few times, and also mentions that Viices is originally a solo project with the addition of drums and bass only recently. I quickly formed a picture of an indie/folk rock band, light, melodic, a touch delicate, but this is not the true story.

Coffee is the name of their latest single to drop, and I’ve gotta say, it’s good! The first 30 seconds give me small glints reminiscent of 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins, but the track in entirety is very different.

This style of music is not what I’d normally listen to, that’s not to say I can’t appreciate it, but my reviews are typically the type that reference a lot of other music to give readers an idea of what to expect. This is the first time I think I haven’t been able to clearly do that. What I can say is, the track flows. It’s clear and precise, its soulful, its melodic, and it’s well written. I particularly enjoy Will’s bass line (insert musical reference here – it reminds me of Alex Katunich from Incubus) with a touch of punchy added to a really solid basis that forms the song. The song has some good detail in the flow between full and half time between chorus/versus. I love this, but the rocker in me can’t help but feel like the guitar solo could have benefited with slightly heavier distortion to give it a big energy punch, however this flows into the next chorus which does just that and steps it up like a steelcap to the groin.

It wouldn’t be a complete review without a drum mention – so big up’s to the drum line in this track. Solid, not overpowering, not too understated, and not too flashy. Exactly what is required of this song, nothing more nothing less. The tone is great too! Geordie’s kit has a nice deep tone, with a slightly muffled boom it sits band smack in the mix right where it needs to be.

Overall, I really enjoy the track, and at a guess, Jake and the boys have probably worked countless hours on this song to deliver to you a superb radio rock single with a tonne of vibe, heaps of emotion, and a really solid feel. It’s a yes from me.