When singer/guitarist Amy V started out with a solo, haunted version of "Gloomy Sunday," while the rest of Vulva Culture watched and waited, it was clear we were in for something special. The quartet of self-described, "truly devastated Haligonian souls" stole the afternoon with a blend of moody torch songs and bubbling shoegaze delivered with quiet assuredness.
Kayla Stevens' lead guitar and pedals were both narrative and melodic, traveling into the songs' dark corners and stirring up the shadows. Not that the whole affair was drowsy; there were plenty of moments where things reached heights of bass- and drum-rattling greatness. Their ability to create and sustain a unifying ambience was spellbinding. It was a psychedelic experience in the best sense of the word, leaving behind a buzz that lasted the rest of the day.
Kayla Stevens' lead guitar and pedals were both narrative and melodic, traveling into the songs' dark corners and stirring up the shadows. Not that the whole affair was drowsy; there were plenty of moments where things reached heights of bass- and drum-rattling greatness. Their ability to create and sustain a unifying ambience was spellbinding. It was a psychedelic experience in the best sense of the word, leaving behind a buzz that lasted the rest of the day.