Virginia Wing
Ecstatic Arrow
Release Date: Jun 8, 2018
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock
Record label: Fire Records
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Album Review: Ecstatic Arrow by Virginia Wing
Excellent, Based on 2 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
One of the most satisfying developments is the foregrounding of Alice Merida Richards' vocals, which gain a newfound clarity; equal parts clipped and inviting. The record's polyrhythms and sporadic saxophone breaks are reminiscent of Magazine or The Pop Group , but when married with the group's trademark cocoon-like synths, they add up to an esoteric, endearing identity all of their own, equal parts spikiness and warmth. This musical polarity is reflected in the lyrics, which express how women's insatiable yearning for knowledge and experience can be inhibited by internal and (often misogynist) external pressures.
Opinion: Excellent
Virginia Wing's fourth LP, recorded at a friend's house in Switzerland, is an assured record from a group clearly becoming ever-more confident to probe the unfamiliar and bolster the foundations of their own unique sound. 'Ecstatic Arrow' revolves around these two tenets. 'The Female Genius' is awash with beautiful synths and Alice Merida Richards's layered vocals that are at once fixed and animated, while single 'The Second Shift' has some of the most infectious horn/synth lines since Part Time's 'Honey Lips'.
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