Unsoothing Interior

In the couple of years between their earliest EPs and signing with PNKSLM Recordings for their full-length debut, Unsoothing Interior, Stockholm trio VERO ditched their synths and settled into a raw, guitar-driven sound. Behind the sinewy vocals of singer/bassist Julia Boman, that sound specifically evokes the 90s and early-2000s alt-rock of acts like Garbage and Elastica -- and with intent. (They also cite Sonic Youth and Pixies as influences.) Boman is joined in the group by guitarists Amanda Eddestal and Clara Gyokeres, whose noise experiments kick off the album on "Cupid," a song reportedly built up from outsourced drums. Tense, driving eighth notes, pitch bends, and squealing distortion accompany simple, steady drums before Boman enters with half-snarled lines that rhyme "fear" with "here," and "hand" with "man." A lively bass then ups the rock ante before the song lands on a buzzy chorus that sees the singer hit a melodic stride without ever taking her simmering euphemisms to a boil ("Touch the lightning/If you want it, take it"). Elsewhere, the guitars let loose melodically on entries like "Sticky," "Beluga," and the bittersweetly hooky "22:12," one of few melancholy breakup songs on a set populated by confrontational, spoke-sung declarations, including "BEG!" That tracks title foreshadows its chaotic, threatening chorus, but Boman is controlled and vulnerable in getting there. Later, they revisit a hint of the post-punk influence from prior releases on "Special," if only in dark guitar timbres. The main takeaway by the arrival of midtempo closer "Exit 2" is Unsoothing Interiors tense interplay of distortion and pristine melodic hooks, which are delivered not only regularly here but without exception. ~ Marcy Donelson