Vocals as dark and sore as a bruise, with a musical backdrop as big and shimmering as a prairie moon.

 

Violet Indiana
Roulette
(Instinct)

Roulette is the first full-length record for Violet Indiana–the newest collaboration between guitar virtuoso Robin Guthrie, formerly of the Cocteau Twins, and chanteuse Siobhan Maré, formerly of the trip-hop band Mono.

When a group as amazing as the Cocteau Twins vanishes, it’s difficult not to have unrealistic expectations of the work that follows. One certainly doesn’t want a repeat of Cocteau Twins with some other chick at the microphone; yet, it sure would be a disappointment to hear no vestiges of that unique sound in the work that followed.

Luckily, there’s enough in Roulette to keep the hardcore Cocteau Twins fan enthralled, and enough good old-fashioned love songs for the dumped to keep any pop aficionado well supplied with memorable hooks. Guthrie’s guitar work is magnificent, sketching desolate landscapes with a sparser, sparer touch than with the Cocteau Twins.

In addition to the ethereal qualities of classic Twins, there’s a hint of the swingy, jazz-on-Quaaludes of Portishead on tracks such as "Air Kissing." Then, on songs such as "Powder River" and "Liar," you’ll discover a trace of the smouldering, sexy groove that was immortalized by David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti on the Twin Peaks soundtrack – only with the added layers of Guthrie’s aching, haunting guitar melodies.

Maré is no Elizabeth Fraser. While it’s true that her voice is not as distinctive and otherworldly as the Cocteau Twins singer, it is somehow more expressive and genuine, as if the emotions are right there on the surface. There is no question that Roulette is an album of straight-ahead love songs – as in, "I loved you, you dumped me, and I’m not going to forgive or forget. Not for a long time." There’s not a lot of deciphering of the message required, to the relief of some Cocteau Twins fans, and Maré’s voice is more versatile than Fraser’s, less complicated by the excessive layers of noise and effects that often cluttered up those earlier recordings.

Instead, Maré’s voice comes through as plaintive and wounded at times, and at other times kittenish and seductive. On tracks such as "Poison Gorgeous" and "Rage Days," she brings out a soulful Girl-Group sound reminiscent of a darker, sadder Dusty Springfield. Later on the disc, she renders up an airy homage to Patsy Cline to accompany Guthrie’s twangy country guitar licks.

Guthrie seems to have found a winning formula in collaborating with individual, strong female singers. Violet Indiana is everything its name implies: vocals as dark and sore as a bruise, with a musical backdrop as big and shimmering as a prairie moon. –Jodie Rogers

 

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