Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

VALKA - VALKA

8/17/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
VALKA

VALKA
self-released; 2015

3.5 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Brandon Gendvilas (vocals/keys), Robb Gilligan (guitar/synth/drums) and Wyatt Clinton (violin/synth) are the three members of the band VALKA. The band’s self-titled album VALKA takes some of the aspects that is popular in contemporary music and implements them into the ten songs. There is no doubt that melodramatic, grandiose music is currently a movement that has broken into the mainstream. 

I often make the case that this emergence started with Funeral from Arcade Fire and mutated somewhere along the way. VALKA’s music is a hyper-real, roided out version of the cathartic style that we have been hearing on the radio for quite some time now. The emotions on the album surpass those which most of us experience on a daily basis unless of course you are constantly winning marathons, traveling through wormholes and literally can’t hold a conversation because of the constant epiphanies you are experiencing in your head.

I think most of the time that’s a good thing. Bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Rós have become popular because their music transcends our mundane experience. It in fact often fills us with those very emotions and in a way we can briefly live vicariously through the music. The music VALKA plays serves a similar purpose. 

VALKA’s music is different from both aforementioned bands in that it contains more mainstream viability. The style of singing, the production as well as a couple of other things is aesthetically aligned with what we could call pop music because this style of music has become popular. 

The album starts with a four-plus-minute intro. It’s the most epic intro I think I have ever heard and kind of sounds like Tubular Bells 2.0. “Intro” is cinematic, really cinematic. You can picture this type of music at the ending battle sequence for the next Avatar movie. 

The appropriately named “Go” is like drinking twelve RedBulls with the extra ingredient of joy. “Go” contains a good amount of instrumentation including piano, synths, guitars and bass drum so loud that it could be used on a dance track. The song is like one long buildup and climax. 

“I Left My House” is another huge sounding song that revolves around a steady kick drum, inventive percussion, orchestral strings and more. It reminded me of The Lumineers except a lot more intense and less folksy. As the album progresses a lot of the songs follow a similar vibe and feel. They are extremely exuberant with a fast BPM that strives to hit the highest peaks before climaxing and doing it all over again. Some songs like “Pomona” rely on melancholy but eventually end up veering towards grandiose sentiments. The only emotional break you get is “Longest Day” which is simply a piano. 

VALKA certainly knows the type of music they want to play and have made a fluid album that showcases that. This album is so visceral it should come with a warning. 
official website
Tweet
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band

© Divide and Conquer 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact