VR Sex
Hard Copy
Dais Records
If you are coming to VR Sex because you like the shrouded, gauzy Darkwave / dream pop / shoegaze of Andrew Clinco’s other band, Drab Majesty, then you might be surprised. VR Sex is a different species altogether. Clinco’s vocals (under the guise of Noel Skum while in the VR Sex costume) are still recognizably him, but the band is aggressive post punk in the vein of Bauhaus or T.S.O.L. (True Sounds of Liberty): noisy, overdriven distorted guitars, intricate live drumming, serpentine bass lines, and a much more forceful vocal delivery. From the black and white photo of a blow-up doll near (or part of?) a trash heap in an abandoned alleyway cover art to the vitriolic lyrics, and honestly, oftentimes more straight than post punk guitar work, it’s a thrill! A bit risqué, a bit trashy, kinda sweaty, a hint of goth, a lot of punk. As much as I love Drab Majesty, it’s a metamorphosis that I almost prefer.
Hard Copy’s lead single, “Real Doll Time,” is a great introduction to what the album’s additional nine tracks are emulating. A late ’70s, early ’80s soak in the post punk pond. Old tires and stagnant, with a bit of a smell you can’t avoid. Where Drab Majesty leaves you feeling clean after a cold rain, VR Sex leaves you worn out from thrashing around, attempting to escape the swift currents of a street gutter after a cloud burst.
Next in the release cycle is “Inanimate Love.” On the surface, it’s a song that compares sex dolls to actual humans, due to not being able to emotionally connect. It’s all surface and for show anyway, so why not make the closest physical and emotional connection you have with an inanimate object? One specifically tailored to your specifications and enjoyment?
It’s music for the youth, something you would identify with in your teen years because of the “shocking” subject matter covered. Again, much like the infancy of punk, post punk, and goth, controversy and subversion are celebrated. Giving the outsiders of typical society an outlet for acceptance.
I keep going back to “Squid Row,” which just happens to be sandwiched between the two lead singles. It’s one of the shortest tracks and the most T.S.O.L. sounding.It lyrically addresses housing projects as “function over form,” the message being that ugly low-income housing environments breed malcontents.
Hard Copy sticks with its lyrical narrative throughout. If you enjoy the first two singles, chances are, you’re going to really dig into this album. VR Sex are consistent in bringing their grimy and often perverse vision. The gutter can be fun!
Hard Copy releases Friday, March 22, 2024, and if you’re in Los Angeles on April 14, you can catch them live at the Teragram Ballroom.
