Victoria and Jacob played, as far as I’m aware, at TLOBF’s very first gig at the Portland Arms in Cambridge the other day. I wasn’t there, and listening to this EP, I wonder how they are as a live act – it’s an intriguing thought which I’m sure several TLOBF staffers could now enlighten me on.
V&J’s sound is a twinkling, light, but affecting one – “Clash” is slightly disappointing in a sense that it isn’t about a seminal punk outfit, but satisfies in every other respect. Victoria’s voice soars over a simplistic synthetic beat and a insistent drone, with glockenspiel, odd rattling sounds and acoustic guitar taking turns to add their own contributions. “It’s not about apologies”, we hear, “it’s about understanding.” It seems to be a song about inevitability and sealing yourself off from the world when things get tough, but what the hell do I know? At the end, there’s a sound which makes me think of the death throes of a toy robot, which is nice.
Victoria sounds at her most spectacularly childish and naïve (in a good way) on “Lion Hunting”. The playful sound of the vocals makes a nice contrast with the anxious lyrics, which talk of suppressed energies, screwing heads on, and generally trying to sort your life out – “I can’t stay here anymore.” Maybe the most worrying thing is the intangible, contradictory nature of the problem at hand – “I will find you lion” and yet, “this mission is never-ending.” The song becomes increasingly insectoid towards its conclusion, sounding like it was recorded in a dry field of increasingly pissed-off crickets.
“Baram”, the third and final track on this very short EP, seems to continue the theme of mental anguish, as we’re welcomed to the titular “Baram”, whatever that is… it’s not too enthusiastic a welcome though, so I’m not entirely sure I want to go there. Here, the synthesizers are often stronger and more central to the music than before, and the whole thing rides along on a variety of dissonant wails and layered electronic percussion. Not wanting to be left without a weird ending, this song concludes with a guitar fadeout joined by football commentary – “West Bromwich Albion… have reclaimed their place… in the Barclay’s Premier League!”
Super Computer is a very modest offering, but a very pleasant, if not breathtaking, one. Victoria and Jacob don’t plan on setting the world alight – that’s not their style – instead, they hope that their fuzzy warmth, quirky energy and twinkling melodies will light a few fires in peoples’ hearts. I think they’ve a good chance.
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mp3:> Victoria and Jacob: ‘Clash’
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