Viva Stereo

"Try Harder " (Demo single, 2002)

Much Better Records

First of several EPs by (originally) Glasgow based Viva Stereo, this debut was a collaboration with local DJ/producer/musician Onthefly and earned the band airplay on Radio One's Evening Session. The three tracks, Mankind, Petite and Breakdown all demonstrate a wide variety of influences - not all of which seem natural bed fellows. For example, the lilting Cafe Del Mar acoustic guitar and squeeling sax on Petite sits strangely alongside female sexual moans and a sample of Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle saying "Listen you fuckers, you screw heads...". Not sure I follow the creative logic there, but a curiosity if not entirely convincing nonetheless. Breakdown is unquestionably the stand out song (so why they left this until last is beyond me), the only one to feature real vocals and rich they are too. 6/10

Rob Dyer (December, 2007)