The last time I reviewed Australian band RVG I leaned on Triffids comparisons. I still think that those are fair reference points, though there's certainly evidence of real growth here on this group's new record. Brain Worms, out now via Fire Records, finds the five-piece emerging after COVID with renewed vigor.
The leader of this outfit is Romy Vager and a good showcase for her skills is "It's Not Easy", a real highlight here. The track has a mix of melodicism and fire that's rare to find these days. In a sense, RVG's peers are those artists from decades past who mined a similar blend to make buoyant alt-rock, though here in 2023, the tunes of RVG stand on their own as special and unique. "Tambourine" is a COVID song, but it's also a sort of mid-tempo anthem for those coming out of the dark and into the light. And that's a description that would apply to lots of the music from RVG.
While keyboards add a retro flavor to "Giant Snake", RVG are no throwback act in terms of style. They are, however, the sort of band who eschews irony in favor of directness. That makes them an anomaly these days. There's a lot of heart in this stuff. I mean, listen to "Nothing Really Changes", another gem here, and you'll hear what I mean. Romy Vager's vocals place this in the same ballpark as earlier names like The Pretenders and The Divinyls. I'm sure they are sick of those sorts of comparisons, so let me say that this stuff is really powerful. RVG may be the best band you're not listening to yet.
[Photo: Izzie Austin]