Voltaire Twins - Romulus (EP)
Voltaire Twins are one of the many over hyped Triple J Unearthed bands who had an exciting 2011 playing at CMJ Music Marathon and supporting another very similar act Tim & Jean on their national tour. Listening to their EP Romulus it’s difficult to understand exactly why there is so much excitement surrounding this Perth based four piece as their particular brand of neu-wave synth heavy pop is incredibly bland and has all been heard before.
Opening track “Romulus” is one of the better songs on this release. The driving rhythms are fun even if the lyrical content leaves a lot to be desired with lines such as “follow the ocean and follow your head, don’t worry about us, we’re already dead” making up the bulk of the song. “Animalia” is the saving grace of Romulus. The cliched lovelorn lyrical sentiments combine perfectly with soaring synth and there is a decadently dark undertone running through the music giving it an edge that is severely lacking in the remainder of the EP. “The Wolves in the Walls” sports many a glitchy video game sound effect and simply plods along from three minutes of electronic boredom. “Island Talk” closes the record on an upbeat note and while the track is incredibly bouncy it leaves no lasting impression.
The problem with Voltaire Twins is that they aren’t good song writers. The construction of their melodies is banal and there are no lingering emotional sentiments for the listener to reconcile themselves with - this is meaningless dance pop for you to shake your arse to at 4am under the influence of a heady cocktail of illicit substances, and even then bands such as Friendly Fires, Absolute Boys and Cut Copy would make better party companions. The four tracks on the Romulus EP bleed into each other with their stark similarities making the record sound like one incredibly long 80’s disco song. The music is catchy but grows old quickly and this is definitely a band to go and see live, as their strength doesn’t lie in their studio recordings.
