Viv Plays Rock n Roll Like No Other

by Dabid Kleiner
Minor 7th, October 29th, 2004

Viv "Flawed", 2004 Viv plays rock and roll, sounds like no other band, yet sounds at times like many bands frequently cited as influences:Beatles, early Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett, Radiohead, the Eagles. Viv plays tight, changing with every cut and inside every cut. The arrangements never stay in one place for long, moving with inscrutable logic: acoustic, then rocking hard, then piling on layers of sound. Matt Ostrander, principal songwriter and lead singer, has a head overflowing with dark thoughts, a pop sensibility, and an adventuresome approach. He turns phrases on their heads, writes obscure lyrics, and name checks Dylan. And he has the nerve to call the album "Flawed." If it were perfect, it wouldn't be rock and roll. And Viv plays rock and roll. © David Kleiner

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