Victoria’s Freak Heat Waves follow up its epic 2012 LP with this excellent double shot of pithy post-punk. The eponymous A-side starts with a lurching drum beat shrouded by a tender, wistful guitar line. The song blossoms slowly as its vines stretch out to dark corners, abetted by singer Steve Lind’s measured murk. As with much of the band’s output, this three-minute track is filled only by necessity; a decidedly barren yet potent affair. The B-side, “Void Air Lashing,” is a superb counterpoint. Driven by a menacing bassline and a snare heavy beat that stop on a dime as one, it displays how on-point and effective this trio can be.
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 2, 2014.