Odes To The Void

Even though Russian shoegazers Life on Venus preceded their second album with an EP titled Departure, they havent radically strayed from the path they established with their 2017 debut, Encounters. The bands sound still consists of vast but vaporous guitars, blended male/female vocals, and brooding tempos, generally inhabiting a gloomy but blissful mood. It expresses fear, disappointment, and hope all at the same time, and if that combination of emotions matches your outlook on life, the groups music is easy to get lost inside. While they arent breaking new ground here, Odes to the Void is more tightly focused than their first record, and a bit stronger overall. The songs are more fleshed out, and the melodies are more stirring, ultimately remaining in the listeners head for a longer period of time. On early standouts For the Kill and Startide, the band switches between bounding post-punk and hazy almost-grunge, balancing urgency with a surreal sense of detachment. Much of the albums midsection concentrates on slower, plodding tempos, with the shimmering waltz The Night Is Young providing a brief, optimistic bit of levity. Following the stormy, lump-in-throat uneasiness of What Lies Beneath and Phantasm, Life on Venus end up At the Point of No Return, which saunters in reservedly before spontaneously combusting. The overblown effects and lumbering tempo make the track feel like youre instantly surrounded by a 50-foot wall of flames, with nary a possibility of escape. While seemingly plumbing the depths of despair, its also the most exciting moment on the entire album, and feels like a momentous payoff. ~ Paul Simpson