Chicago-based Violets is not what you would expect from a band consisting of members of Naked Raygun, The Methadones, and Blood People. Their self-titled and self-released debut EP draws influence from bands like The Pixies, Hole, and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Violets have crafted a distinctive sound that lies between a whisky-soaked night alone and a nostalgic evening shared with an old friend.
The album opens with the standout track The Tower. As the song starts, guitarists Bill Stephens, Simon Lamb, and guitarist/vocalist Aly Jados synchronize a perfectly midtempo intro that strips away any hope of Violets sounding like their other bands. When we reach the verse, the rhythm section of drummer Michael Soucy and bassist Fritz Doreza takes over with mathematical precision. Jados rolls in creating a sense of loneliness and longing as she sings, “Alone in a crowd. Can’t find my head. It’s underground. Can’t get a grip. I’m losing it. Right back where we started.” Building up to the chorus, we hear Jados’ beautifully raspy power as she reflects, “And then it hit me, after all this time. I couldn’t hate you if I tried. Of all the nights I spent in circles. Hanging on the nine.” These lyrics, plus Violets’ pop sensibility and musicianship, create a song that tugs at the heartstrings.
Violets follows up with Devotion. When the song begins, Doreza’s bass sounds smooth as it dances around the hard pounding drums of Soucy. Quickly, this dance becomes an assault of layered soundscapes provided by Violets’ three guitarists. As these seasoned musicians weave this all into a post-punk gem, Jados comes in quietly singing, “Wolves a howling. Temptation scowling. Midnight hourly. Repressed desire puts out the fire. Burning Embers rage.” Conceptually, the lyrics of this song use the visualization of the power of the sun and nature to show the change within oneself.
Finishing the EP is the fantastic single Eras. Beginning with a distorted guitar riff that would make the whole decade of the 1990s jealous, Violets creates an intense intro for the apocalyptic song that is about to ensue. As we enter into the first verse, the hard pounding drums and militant rhythm take center stage. Sliding gracefully into this is Jados’ weary lyrics about the current state of the world. This is voiced as she sings,” Fools and tribes. No one gets out alive. Tired old ways. Chasing violet haze. When nothing nothing’s as it seems.”
The last note of Violet’s debut EP leaves us wanting more. They have given us a taste of what they can do. Leading us to wonder what comes next from this powerhouse of a band.
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