Anyone who follows this blog will know that I’ve been following the rise and rise of Belfast gazers, Virgins, for a couple of years now. From the amazing Transmit a Little Heaven EP to their recent singles ‘s l o w l y, l o n g’ and ‘s o f t e r’ they have shown steady development borne out through the hard yards on stage in front of their ever-growing army of fans. For those just discovering the band they are Michael Smyth on guitar with David Sloan also on guitar, James Foy on drums, Brendy McCann on bass and Rebecca Dow on vocals. Together they create the most amazing noise that has now come into perfect focus on their debut album nothing hurt and everything was beautiful.
What does the album sound like compared to previous releases? The band have this to say.
“The songs were recorded over a period of months after having spent the previous two years filling rooms all over Ireland and the UK with all-enveloping sounds. Taking the tracks from the stage to studio injected a sense of space, purpose and drive into the songs. The size and energy of each room distilled into the sonic make-up of the songs. Thematically the record moves between sex and love, romanticism, the need to escape and loss all draped over an immersive sonic tapestry.”
That sounds like something I need to hear so let’s drop the needle and give this a spin.
The album opens with previous single ‘s o f t e r’. From the hooky riff intro into the explosive drums thundering in ‘s o f t e r’ takes no prisoners. Dows vocals are given tons of space in the verses to weave her siren like spell. This is augmented by the glide guitar parts and tremolo picked stuff. Meanwhile holding it all down the bass provides a steady pulse, never sitting still for a moment. It’s an assured opening salvo and we’re off!!
Next up it’s another single, ‘s l o w l y, l o n g’. The song opens on reverberating chiming guitars before exploding into life and they propel us into the song. Dows vocal performance is dynamic and expressive. Anyone who has seen the band live knows how she embodies the spirit of the songs. The multi textured guitars vary from dreamy and floaty to pummelling fuzzed out chaos. It’s another winner and it’s obvious that Virgins have brought their A game.
‘c l o s e’ is something else entirely. A driving indie rock track peeks pout from behind the fuzz drenched curtains. Propelled by Foy’s insistent drumming the pace is set and the band accept the challenge. Dow has a lot of fun; you can hear that over the verses in particular as she yelps out those last lines. ‘c l o s e’ is proof positive Virgins have hooks for weeks and if you go to see them live be prepared to get sweaty!!
The extended intro to ‘p a l e, f i r e’ builds the tension nicely so that when the levee breaks and the song blossoms on the speakers we are lifted and sent soaring. The vocal range on show is breathtaking as are the layers of guitars with their myriad textures. I don’t tend to use the word ‘epic’ too often but in this case, for this song it’s well warranted.
The melancholic ‘a d o r e’ follows. Whilst this song maintains that heavyweight backing that typifies the Virgins sound, there’s a yearning in the melody. When we hit those verses its like the song opens up like a vista across some wide expanse. No matter what dynamic we’re in that yearning thread is carried on through the vocals and guitars.
“d i s a p p e a r e r” brings an ever so slightly calmer yet entirely driven sound. Dow’s vocals shine amidst a swirling storm of noise. “Wax and wane, fall and rise” she sings as we dive headlong into one of the best choruses on the album. There’s a blissful energy about this track that makes me smile every time.
It’s into darker territory next with ‘s u n s p o t s’. Theres a guttural growl from the rhythm guitars as they grind out the intro. Every guitar tone in here is painted with fuzz to a lesser or greater extent yet there’s an undeniable clarity to everything. The vocals sit nicely in the mix like a dingy bobbing on a sea of distortion. This to me demonstrates how far Virgins have come. The skill on show from all involved is breathtaking.
The album comes to a close all too soon with ‘t e n d’, a juggernaut of melodies, angst-driven guitar, and blissed-out percussion. It builds on all that came before it giving us a glimpse into the future sound we can expect from Virgins. Theres a maturity in all aspects here, most notably that lead guitar line and the assured vocal delivery. The stop start delivery of that closing section leaves us elated and wanting more. Shouldn’t all albums finish that way?
I think its fair to say they’ve done it again. Virgins have released a debut that redefines their sound. There’s a new cohesive quality to all these tracks that make them more than a collection of songs. This is an album. One that has been meticulously planned, written, performed and track listed. Each song flows into the next. When listening on vinyl side A and B feel like they have a natural break between them. This feels like the perfect storm for Virgins. From looking at the album artwork you can tell this is a shoegaze album but whilst there are nods to their influences throughout, make no mistake, this is an evolution, or maybe a revolution.
nothing hurt and everything was beautiful is out now via Blowtorch Records on a pressing of 300 starburst coloured vinyl which you can also grab via the Virgins Bandcamp page.
You can follow Virgins on social media here…
Photo Credits
josh mainka photography
Ebony Alexander Media
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