UUVVWWZ – UUVVWWZ

Ignore that name. Go on just try. It’s not too easy, is it? It raises plenty of questions, namely, how do you pronounce UUVVWWZ, and why on earth would you call your band that?In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter. At least it’ll be easy to find in the racks and it gives you something to ponder as you make your way through this vibrant collection of wiry post-punk pop tunes.Kicking things off with 'Berry Can', you’re instantly drawn to the evocative vocals of Teal Gardner, a lady who throughout the course of the album twists her voice into several different shapes and evokes many contemporaries in the process. “I like the blackberries, cos they cannot entangle me” she coos before revealing that she might be your sister and your teacher. So far, so strange. Then the band kick in with a raucous wall of noise that is drenched in blues and sludge. If nothing else, the smouldering danger of the track drags you in and threatens to visit some horrible retribution upon you unless you keep listening. The ensuing frenzy that explodes as the track draws to a close gives you an opportunity to opt out while the band’s back is turned but frankly why would you want to leave? Things are just getting interesting.'Shark Suit' finds Gardner in a squeakier mode as the band goes all sparse and spiky ”“ like a balding punk’s head. The guitars riff on the Dead Kennedy’s here and there as Gardner talks of building a shark tooth suit in a manner that suggests it’s not too long before she considers picking something from the Ed Gein catalogue of home furnishings.'Jap Dad' has a wonderfully bezerk guitarline that just shoots out like gibberish fired from a party popper. Part jazz, part post-punk and part math rock, it’s a fiendish jumble of notes that allows a frantic Melt Banana style vocal free reign until things settle down and Gardner adopts the demeanour of a caffeine injected school child.'Neolaño' and 'Castle' are much calmer affairs which could easily have been recorded in the Slow Bar with Frank Booth on production duties. Everso slightly unhinged lounge styled workouts ensue, and it’s interesting to note that Gardner is equally at home in the role of torch singer as she is in the guise of a skittish punk.Other than Gardner’s voice, perhaps UUVVWWZ’s greatest asset is their use of space. Rather than worrying about stuffing each song full of riffs and clever twiddly bits (that’s a real musical term, I checked), they frequently hold back leaving gaping holes and pauses which heightens serves to heighten expectation and tension. As a result the whole album, insists on having your attention.The slow build and burn of 'The Sun', and the PJ Harvey styled blues of 'Hum Jam' close out the album with some style. By which time, even if you had been pondering on the pronunciation of UUVVWWZ you’ll have forgotten all about it having been fully enveloped in this occasionally unnerving collection of songs.It might be possible to accuse the band of being occasionally unfocussed and lacking a definite sound due to the swinging back and forth between wired punk and loafing mood songs, but frankly that would be harsh. If anything this mish-mash of styles keeps things lively and perhaps if a lesser singer than Gardner were fronting the band there might be a case to answer. As it is this is an assured debut album from a band that aren’t afraid to experiment and they should be saluted for it.UUVVWWZ on Myspace