Published on Sep 29, 1999
It might not always seem like it if you’ve read my reviews for
any length of time, but I do like to listen to the occasionally
quirky pop album. I don’t necessarily mean novelty works, rather
those albums that seem to be created under what others would see as
chaos – and, in the end, coming forth with what turns out to be a
beautiful piece of work.
With that thought in mind, let’s turn in our hymnals to
Life In Volcanoes from Povi. This debut album is an
interesting combination of trance-like music and pop sensibility –
and it’s hypnotic enough to lock you in for numerous listens.
Life In Volcanoes is the final product of Los Angeles-based
wunderkind Carmen Rizzo and Australia-based vocalist
Cristina Calero. Developing the songs on this album happened
through long-distance communications – something I know is not
uncommon among band members, but rare for such a chemistry to work
on the first try. Recorded in Los Angeles, the culmination of the
two-continent collaboration (say
that five times fast) has a lot in common with much of the
music you’ve undoubtedly heard – but is like nothing you’ve ever
heard.
Confused yet? Don’t be. Instead, let the music on
Life In Volcanoes explain everything to you. From the
mood-setting opener “Last Day Of Spring,” Povi quickly throws
things into creative overdrive on “Dragonflies,” a song that, if
there’s any justice in this industry, should be burning up the
alternative charts in no time flat. Calero’s voice is perfectly
suited for this material, and her lyrics are enchanting. The
musicians assembled by Rizzo for this project (who are too numerous
to name individually, but are people he’s closely worked with in
the past) likewise seem to be the key to unlock the music’s inner
beauty.
For a good portion of
Life In Volcanoes, this magic continues to unfold. I’d be
hard-pressed to find one track on this disc that I didn’t like.
From the almost chant-like texture on “Volcanoes” to the beauty of
songs like “Hiroshima Sweet Eyes” and “Other People Sleep,” Povi
seem to know exactly how to hit the bull’s-eye every time. (The one
slip? Maybe that would be “Creatures,” a song whose style just
doesn’t seem to fit with what the band did throughout the rest of
the album. Fortunately, this is a short piece, and not a major
faux-pas.)
Povi even has the good sense to know how to handle the hidden
track – either a re-do or a repeat of “Dragonflies” – by having it
kick off shortly after the last track fades out. If only other
people who get their rocks off by throwing 20 minutes of silence in
between the last song and the hidden track would get the drift.
Life In Volcanoes is an album that is undeniably charming,
and one that should make Povi a household name in the world of
alternative music. There are thousands of stories in the industry
about groups who should have been bigger than they eventually
became. Here’s hoping that Povi is given a fair shake, and doesn’t
become another one of those stories.