Review Summary: Oceans of good intentions...
Every now and again, I come across a piece of work that I am utterly infatuated with, for reasons I can’t quite understand. I think I’ve discovered the reason here, on Various Cruelties’ eponymous debut LP: Simplicity. This is a very common criticism, as simplicity is often indicative of laziness or unoriginality. Other times, and for example with Real Estate, we see simplicity done right, with a beautiful end result. The very same elements are present on this album, or at least on the surface.
Describing their sound as Motown-influenced indie pop and hailing from Leeds, the band confidently delves into a refreshing, groove-laden sound. The first (and perhaps only) major recognition they have received is from a Zales Christmas commercial, in which they used “If It Wasn’t For You,” the striking, poetic lead single of the album.
Various Cruelties begins with a weaker track, “Chemicals,” which lacks instrumentally. It is held together by the bold soul-inspired vocals of Liam O’Donnel and his Alex Turner-esque songwriting. Teamed with Tony Hoffer, a producer known for his work with Beck and Foster the People, the simple melodies of Various Cruelties’ melodies are coupled with delicate psychedelic flourishes and reverberations. This is capitalized upon in “Capsize,” which is reminiscent of the wavy production of Washed Out. However, for the rest of the album, the flourishes serve as a complement instead of a defining characteristic, which proves successful and makes an important statement: Various Cruelties aren’t making anything sonically groundbreaking--they aren’t trying to.
The album has its share of powerful moments, from the hard-hitting chorus of “Beautiful Delirium” to the bridge of “Magnetic Field,” when O’Donnel’s voice is briefly alone with a clean acoustic guitar and bass drum. Even in these moments, there is little sense of urgency, and it sounds as if the feelings he is trying to portray are meticulously crafted. His vocal delivery is relaxed, but still demands attention. Cohesively, the album works very well. Other than the repetitive “She Is The One,” it truly shines to the end. “Thrill Is Gone” works in an interesting hip-hop beat coupled with a soft synthesizer and guitar, crafting a surprisingly heartfelt tune before the album’s average closer, “Neon Truth.” Overall,
Various Cruelties represents a band that isn’t prepared to make anything outstanding, but is sure of itself and doing a good job of showing it.
