Voodoo Sioux – Grotesque Familiares (2013)

The promotional one-sheet for Voodoo Sioux is rather slim on details about the band and their new album Grotesque Familiares. The UK band had some success in the Nineties developing a solid fan base through constant gigging around the country. It appears they had a label agreement and may have cut, at the very least, a demo. They disbanded at some point, then reunited for some more live gigs. Finding strength from the fans, they recorded this new album. Now you know as much as do. It’s all rather vague.

Voodoo Sioux: getting up close and personal.

But the music of Voodoo Sioux is not. It’s solid melodic hard rock driven by strong bass lines and some quite lively guitar work from guitarist JB (more vagueness). Yet, liveliness might just describe the essence of the Sioux sound. There’s almost a bouncy pop sensibility to some songs. Certainly found in Mozart In Reverse, Pillow Talk and Is It Soup Yet?

But while that latter song has a giggly bounce, it’s also heavy with some sharp JB guitar work that swerves from a psychedelic to metal tone. Manic Evangeline and Chase The Voodoo turn the tables on this motif veering to more straight heavier melodic rock. The former move on crashing drums and agitated riffage, the latter on a slower groove, steady drums and echoing guitar. Voodoo Sioux can quiet things down to a ballad with Indian Summer, where the bass line keeps the pace and the guitar, once more, offers several varied lively injections. One of the more impressive songs is The Only Thing were the melody of the vocal line works in steady tandem with the guitar, and Nikki Flaherty has a great rock voice.

If I wouldn’t have been pitched this album, I’m not sure that I would given Voodoo Sioux a second listen just from a few songs. But the music of Grotesque Familiares is fresh: varied, interesting, and entertaining. I can see how the band could develop a strong cult following in their native country. Recommended.

1. Pillow Talk
2. Mister Smith or Jones
3. Damage
4. Mozart in Reverse
5. Indian Summer
6. Down
7. Is It Soup Yet?
8. Exit
9. The Only Thing
10. Jasmine
11. Manic Evangeline
12. Chase the Voodoo

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