Viva Voce

Whenever a band become successful, it’s always tempting to look backwards and see what came before. That isn’t always easy because albums might no longer be available, as was the case with husband and wife duo Viva Voce. Their first three albums have been out of print for some time, but numbers two and three have been reissued by the band, with a handful of extra tracks for good measure. Any trepidation about their earlier, possibly lesser albums disappears completely after the first couple of songs on 2003’s Lovers, Lead The Way! because these albums are just as good as their later work. With a lovely mix of fuzzy guitars and sweet boy/girl harmonies, they create one great pop song after another, although they aren’t above the occasional psychedelic workout. 2004’s The Heat Can Melt Your Brain is a more restrained and focussed record, but both discs have stood the test of time remarkably well. Even the added demos and live versions are worth hearing, with the radio performances standing out. This will quite nicely fill the gap until their next record appears, hopefully later this year.