The View Album Review

With their second album, The View, Wellington 6-piece Spartacus R prove that it’s quality, not quantity that matters.  In 6 years together they’ve released a couple of EP’s, their debut album (When The Fever Takes Hold) in 2009 and toured a handful of times.

It’s understandable that they find so little time to perform and record together, with half the band being professional musicians involved in some hard working bands – The Nudge, Fly MY Pretties, The Rhythm Hawks and Jessie James and The Outlaws are just some of the groups these hard working musicians also belong to.

Spartacus R’s sound will be familiar to anyone who’s come across those other bands before, as it draws on the same bluesy rock and folk influences, with a healthy dose of psychedelia thrown in to keep listeners on their toes.  

And keep you on your toes is what it does, with songs constantly morphing, exploring musical tangents and never seeming to follow convention.  There’s a retro feel to many of the songs (a definite Doors feel in particular on several songs), but it never sounds like a rehash of the bands’ influences, which is credit to the combined talents of the musicians.

It’s that aspect of the music that elevates it above other blues-based rock – just when you think you’ve got a song pegged, Spartacus R will change direction, but they always keeping you smiling at their musical sleight of hand – they don’t rub their musicianship in your face, instead making you feel as though you’re in on it too.

The View is a musical journey, with each song taking you a little deeper into Spartacus R’s world; it’s a journey definitely worth taking.