Review By Aiden Stingemore

Think Passion Pit after a hit of happy gas, a spin of a Depeche Mode record and then receiving excellent news and you’re not even close. Perth-based new wave foursome, The VOLTAIRE TWINS have crafted a rather pigeonholing four track EP in ‘Romulus’ in that it’s exploring well-travelled territory, but goddamn it’s catchy stuff. A slice of bouncy optimism reinforces each of the four tracks, made obvious through nods to glittery vocal harmonies, ironic and often dark lyricism and a high-gloss synth backbone. Romulus comes charging out the gates with the titular track, swells of sounds and bursts of obnoxious keyboard that sound akin to 80’s new wave front-running of A Flock Of Seagulls and Pseudo Echo. While a little repetitive, second track ‘Animalia’ snatches obvious single territory, scoring a video clip involving human taxidermy and the dance choreography of bird-people over a sing-along chorus with an almost ambient break.

This work is somewhat more of the same, but it is under a bedrock of consistency and consistent quality at that we find what makes this group so fun. ‘The Wolves in the Walls’ is one of the weaker tracks here, offering a rather dull, plodding rhythm and aimless key abuse, rendering the track a little unfocused. They could have done without this one. Closer ‘Island Talk’ has all the makings of pretentious hipster fantasy land – strong Lord of the Flies allusions, synthesisers and frankly childish lyrics. It should be fall apart on itself, but manages to stand up through tasteful layering of ideas and a shimmering lead section and fall over in a cute little heap.

The Voltaire Twins ability to intelligently layer different sounds together that allows them to rightly count themselves amongst some of the better new wave acts to inundate Australia. Their obvious fondness of harmonizing gives this EP a sort of ethereal underpinning, nicely toeing the line of minimalism for the sake of being trendy and tacking on unnecessary flashiness without regard for flow and cohesion.