There is experimentation for its own sake, and there is unforced invention delivered with chilled ease. The Voidz fall into the second category. The instinct for generating new ideas and managing the execution places the group in a position of worthy ongoing study, especially when the largely LA-based collective keeps demonstrating a knack for handling crisp ideas.
Driven by a passion that is believable, Julian Casablancas’ career-long penchant for melodic skill combined with an urge to make music that melds an edgy, much broader palette of genre is a process that continues to take shape in a quest to get closer to what has seemed hard to pin down. This is a huge positive, however. The beauty of The Strokes frontman’s creative conflict of interest lies in the proliferation of the output, there is a lot of music just waiting to be written and the songwriter is up for supplying.
Self-ironically the term ‘prison jazz’ has been used to self-describe the group’s music. In a similar vein, this release could be the band’s ‘probation jazz’ record, it offers a bigger outlook, and represents greater accessibility. There is a sense of inviting more people in.
— — If The Voidz’s ‘Tyranny’, the first full-length released in 2014, is the dark, gritty depth of Casablancas’ experimental ambition, 2018’s follow up ‘Virtue’ signifies the brighter, pop-like moment of being immersed, where he gets to enjoy it. ‘Like All Before You’ sits somewhere in between the two releases. While heaps of experimenting is on display, the testing element is used economically and wisely, the song is always at the centre.
Variety remains the album’s undeniable strength, each track sounds instantly recognisable and reveals its own unique identity in respect of genre, style and beat. Take a song like the pulsating ‘Square Wave’, where basslines reminiscent of New Order outline the melody. Nicely enticing, it makes no attempts to hide the need to test a different idea.
The vocals are given a robotic treatment and the pace is fast and demanding. Meanwhile, a raw juncture such as ‘Prophecy Of The Dragon’ uses different instrumental tricks, infectious hi-hats begin the affair before abrasive metal guitars interrupt to fire things up, and keep them heated. Elsewhere, there is the dream-like sonics of ‘Perseverance–1C2S’, a scenario that sees synth and guitar solos transport the listener to a distant place, a trippy moment before the sci-fi technology of ‘All the Same’ is heard.
‘Like All Before You’ is a delightfully eclectic effort that never fails to startle, and it makes sense to continue following Julian Casablancas on this astonishing journey. An illustrious tour de force, this is experimental music that balances what’s classic, classy and cool. 8/10 Words: Susan Hansen —.
