Voyce Memos return in 2019 with their latest album Catching Me In Stride out this Friday, April 19. In the mean time we take a look at their lead single, “Division”, which is currently streaming on all platforms HERE.
There is a certain honesty to “Division”. Maybe it’s the howling vocals, the instrumentation, or the moody cavernous reverb that ties down the emotional core of the song. One thing is for sure though, Voyce Memos know how to convey emotion through their music.
Saying that, it’s clearly evident that they did not pay as much attention to the more intricate choices in the production of "Division". The arrangement feels like they were working with the constraints of a loop pedal, with several sections flat out repeating with zero variation. Despite funky guitar and bass, there is zero groove in the track, possibly due to the kick and snare’s relegation to background instruments. Finally the weak vocals at the beginning were clearly a step below the falsetto heard during on the rest of the release.
A sax section fades the track out without feeling any bit out of place. This track is another example of the adage “everything is better with brass”. It truly is the highlight of the track, and the way that all instruments gradually collapse into each other shows that the band has the technical knowhow. Next time here’s hoping they focus more on this aspect.
Watch the music video for "Division" below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O7uRtazwkQ]