Viola
Wonderabilia
Jupiter
There's an unnatural beauty in darkness, in bleak moments spent looking out over cities that once held such magic, and reviewing events, now etched into memory, longing for cities we've long since departed, friends we haven't seen in years, and for that vibrant cord that seemed to tie us energetically to the unfolding events of the world around us. Viola's most recent release, "Wonderabilia", is a complicated portrait of barren expanses, of isolation, and of the beauty that is so often crafted within the shadows. While the album is based around a few simple mechanisms – dark pop sensibilities, electronic atmospherics, and powerful, building arrangements – "Wonderabilia" isn't an 'easy' record. There are songs that are immediately appealing, such as the openers "Unreal life" and "Stay unknown", but there are also songs that are difficult to fully appreciate on the first listen, or are, at the very least, augmented and better understood with repeated listens. During my first few run-throughs, I felt almost distracted by the glittering layer of electronics in a few of the songs, but the depths present themselves as I became more acquainted with the tone of the record and the songs themselves. This isn't at all to say the record is flawless, very few records are, but as a whole "Wonderabilia" functions extremely well. Viola have crafted a solid album from the fragments of daily unhappiness, from the influences of bands like Depeche Mode and New Order, and incorporated these splinters deftly into their own unique, flowing sound.
- Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson
