New Zealand Rock outfit Voodoo Bloo have just dropped their sophomore album The Blessed Ghost. The eclectic 12-track album sees the band further develop their sound, merging the post-punk sensibilities from their debut album Jacobus with Indie and Alt-Rock to create a unique offering that centres around themes of self-discovery, love interests and confronting your own demons all via a fictional character represented throughout the album acting as a vice for the band’s own personal experiences.
The album opens with ‘The Blessed Ghost’ (Younger Then), effectively a voice message left by the protagonist of the album, introducing the listener to his inner thoughts, reflecting on growing older and the uncertainty of life. Backed by a simple haunting organ, the track acts as an introduction to the character and gives the listener an insight into some of the themes and motivations behind the album.
To get a good understanding of the album I’d suggest listening to the 5 singles released from it, ‘Pursuit’, ‘We’re Here’, ‘Love Is Somewhere Else’, ‘Default’, ‘Skin’ and ‘Small’. While all different from one another the tracks showcase the versatility of the band and sets you up for the rest of the album.
‘Pursuit’ is a dark brooding Grunge influenced Alt-Rock track that widens and intensifies with grandiose vocals dominating the forefront leading to an intricate outro that packs a punch.
As the stomping riffs of ‘Pursuit’ subsides in its place is a high-tempo alt-indie dancefloor banger. ‘We’re Here, Love Is Somewhere Else (‘WHLSE’), a track based around paranoia and social pressures, it’s one of the more upbeat tracks of the album opting for fastpaste drum grooves and dreamy guitars lines.
‘Default’ released as a double A-side with ‘We’re Here, Love Is Somewhere Else’, complements each other perfectly, if WHLSE is the bright Indie dancfloor filler, Default is it’s the hyped-up chaotic cousin that incites moshpits. A relentless battering of Punk mixed with Indie-Rock sensibilities.
‘Skin’ opens with a more Britpop-esque style beat centring around a grooving bassline as guitar and synth elements gradually get brought into the fold. It’s at this point the listener would be forgiven for thinking the track takes a more optimistic approach, and they would be partly right. It’s about becoming something new and casting off old ideologies, this is portrayed lyrically
With the idea of your skin being a facade you present to the world and only by ripping it off can you start afresh. This culminates in the track getting noticeably heavier towards the end as the character gets more desperate the music becomes angry and erratic, also look out for when the explosive riff kicks in, it’s got to be my favourite on the album.
‘Small’ occurs towards the end of the album, an emotive track that incorporates soaring guitar melodies, driving bass lines and energetic drum beats that brightens the mood from the previous track in the album ‘Ritalin’.
Other tracks to look out for are the melancholic ballad of ‘Rubarb and Custard’, the dark soundscape of ‘For Asterisk’ and the industrial feel of ‘Ritalin’. Overall the album is a clear progression for the band in both their sound and songwriting capabilities. There’s something for everyone on there. Their ability to blend genres and keep the listener engaged throughout is something that truly sets Voodoo Bloo apart and I personally can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.