UK duo The KVB call their new album “dystopian pop” which honestly I think would apply to everything they’ve ever released. “Tremors” is straight-up darkwave post-punk that borrows from the best: basslines from The Cure, synths and vocals from New Order/Joy Division, and the sweep (but not the bombast) of Sisters of Mercy. Nicholas Wood and Kat Day know how to construct satisfying, hooky songs and really understand genre sonics.
“Tremors” sees Manchester-based cold wave duo The KVB return to the darker sound that embodied their earliest releases whilst retaining the infectious energy of their previous album “Unity” which MOJO described as having a “sense of wonderment throughout”. The band have dubbed their sound on “Tremors” as ‘dystopian pop’, and wrote it with the live show in mind; full of energy, hooks and dynamic moments.
Writing the album between Manchester and Bristol, the band have drawn on their own back catalogue and the music that inspired them at the very beginning of their artistic journey. The end result is the most complete album from The KVB to date, full of emotive impact and hooks presented in a uniquely shadowy atmosphere with an idiosyncratic detachment that adds to the cinematic quality of their sound.
On that note, “Tremors” is their biggest, best sounding record yet with a few curveballs in the mix, like the widescreen pop sheen on “In The Silence” and the sexy noir atmosphere and extremely satisfying chorus on “Overload.” There are no shortage of groups who sound like this, but few do it as well as The KVB.
The Fat Angel Sings 