Valina

Epode

(54-40 or Fight)

Record Review by Michele Fair

It seems the Swedes have a way with indie music fans, but it’s not often we’re familiarized with the music of other far away places like Austria for example.  Valina, who hails from Linz, Austria, is a band that seems to have a real goal of something big in mind.  Their 2005 EP Epode is a string of songs which, when put together as one package, can be a little bit confusing.  That’s not to say that their powerful sound and confidence doesn’t show on the EP however.  The idea is clearly there, yet the execution falls a little flat, leaving something to be desired, and the listener feeling somewhat empty. 

The first two tracks are rousing and strong, giving them enough credibility to do what they’ve done: compare themselves to bands such as Shellac and even Fugazi.  On the other hand, it may be a bit pretentious to do so considering the core feel of the music.  Track two, “Eriny,” could easily be mistaken for Jason Loewenstein/Sebadoh, making it a real standout.  However, the third track, “81 Men Without Memory,” is an attempt a meaningful ballad, but the message gets lost in the song’s length; it has some nice string work and a real starkness to it, but just when you feel the song has made its point, the refrain continues for a lot longer than you planned on, urging you to skip onto the next song.  Overall, though, Valina is a solid band that constructs solid songs.  It’ll be interesting to see what this Austrian import brings to the table next.