(Full Time Hobby/Pod)

Husband-wife team compile their heady psych-pop highlights

Kevin & Anita Robinson’s take on psychedelic/shoegazing indie-pop is rich and diverse enough to have attracted the positive attention of Death Cab For Cutie and The Shins, with the latter outfit selecting the duo to support them throughout the US. The Portland, Oregon-based twosome have released this CD as something of a snapshot of their career thus far, taking eight tunes from their three previous records (2003’s Lovers Lead The Way, 2004’s The Heat Can Melt Your Brain and 2006’s Get Your Blood Sucked Out) to give listeners an idea of their diverse musical journey. Stylistically, Viva Voce veer from Breeders-styled indie pop (Wrecking Ball) to radio-friendly hooks (Lesson Number 1) to mod-happy hip shakers (From The Devil Himself) to the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club-esque guitar storm of Faster Than A Dead Horse. What unifies all these elements is the duo’s mix of sweetness and power, with Kevin’s thunderous drums tempered by Anita’s clean melodic vocals. Also, the group’s love of psychedelia is present throughout, with echo-drenched guitars adding a heady, trippy element to the sound.

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MATT THROWER

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