A Jazz Album, Minus the Jazz: A review of Viagra Boys Second Studio Album

Viagra Boys name says enough about how weird this six-piece band are. Their latest album, Welfare Jazz tests the boundaries, walking a thin line between what is experimental and what is simply shit. Most of the time they get it right.

Each song is heavily bass driven, which adds a much needed funk to the album. The albums best songs hold a lot of credit to the well composed basslines.

‘Toad’ is the best song on the album, this is because the bassline is fast, catchy and funky. It is a shame the song is placed at the beginning of the album as it would be a fitting finale in comparison to the strange and uninteresting final song, ‘In Spite of Ourselves’.

The lyricism and general energy of the bands lead singer really makes this band unique. They are a post-punk band so it is inevitable to hear a lot of shouting. What makes their lead singer, Sebastian Murphy, stand apart from others is that there is so much raw passion in his voice. 

Murphy’s voice has so much character, it is one of the many reasons ‘Toad’ is such a good song. The emotions shown in ‘I Feel Alive’ bring the song to life (pun intended).

Viagra Boys are clearly very talented musicians and manage to infuse so many genres. ‘6 Shooter’ is purely instrumental and is fuelled with the energy of Joy Division but executed with the mind of an orchestra. The way the band creates such a huge atmosphere is impressive. ‘To The Country’ boasts the bands extensive musical skills and implements wind instruments to create one powerful song.

There is a huge amount of experimentation in this album which usually benefits the sound of the band. Despite this they do sometimes get it wrong. ‘6 Shooter’ is such an energetic song but is pointlessly interrupted mid-song for this weird messy break that is so unneeded. 

This seems to happen a lot with weirdly placed intros and odd song disruptions. This makes it slightly more difficult to make it though each song. 

As you listen to this album you can almost imagine walking through a hectic underground rave. ‘Ain’t Nice’ and ‘Secret Canine Agent’ are two songs that work hard to build up momentum. When the songs abruptly change, it takes away from this brilliant feeling that has been created.

The reoccurring interludes are just weird. They are so unnecessary, the band most likely has some deep meaning behind ‘Cold Play’ but to most, it is just a poor saxophone solo which disrupts the pace of the album.

‘Ain’t Nice’ is an example of this experimentation gone right. What sounds like a horn and a synth are boldly thrown together with a funky bass line and a great voice to make a song that just makes you want to dance. It shouldn’t work but it does.

The humour and brashness of the lyrics is what makes Viagra Boys so interesting. The whole album seems to be an ongoing diary entry. Murphy shouts about his regrets, his aims, his frustrations with the world. It is so honest but also so well delivered.

Welfare Jazz contains some incredible songs that are both weird and wonderful. They manage to use so many different genres to create a very particular feeling for the listener while also making you want to dance. The weird is sometimes overwhelming and threatens to ruin parts of the album however is not enough to destroy Viagra Boys energetic style.

I rate this album 3/5