Violens - True (2012)

2012 release from the Brooklyn-based Indie band. Violens was formed in 2007 by Jorge Elbrecht (a producer, multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the art company Lansing-Dreiden). The band eludes classification, blending percussive guitar work and silky harmonies with a wash of '90s sonic pop via artists like Pale Saints, Cocteau Twins and McCarthy. Their 2010 self-recorded debut album Amoral is best understood as digital collage; a dark, guitar-and-synth-pop voyage of melodic and rhythmic collision. Violens' sophomore effort True shifts course toward a more subtle and desaturated sonic landscape. The writing process began while traveling together on tour, and showcases a more collaborative effort. Band members Iddo Arad (backing vocals, synths, guitar) and Myles Matheny (backing vocals bass, guitar) had a much larger influence on the songwriting and the album's sonic direction. Framed by Will Berman's distinctive drumming, True shows the band interacting and reflecting in ways both promising and exciting.