The Voidz: Virtue (2LP) [CULT]

Why you'll love it

This 2LP set comes with a foldout poster of artwork and liner notes, pressed in the EU. Virtue was the band's first album as simply The Voidz, and NME and DIY both gave it four stars.

This edition

• 2LP set
• Foldout poster with artwork and liner notes
• Pressed in the EU
• Download card included

About the album

Julian Casablancas could have spent the rest of his days writing tidy three-minute Strokes songs. Instead he formed The Voidz, signed to RCA through his own Cult Records, trimmed the band name, and made an album that jumps from glam to punk to synth-pop to something closer to Middle Eastern psych, sometimes inside the same song.

"Leave It in My Dreams" is the closest thing to a classic Casablancas single, all chiming guitars and easy melody. "Pyramid of Bones" and "Qyurryus" go loud and strange, "All Wordz Are Made Up" is a twitchy dance track, and "Think Before You Drink" reworks a 1978 Michael Cassidy song as an acoustic lament. Shawn Everett produced most of it, and the striking cover is a 2015 painting by Felipe Pantone.

The band debuted these songs at a secret Los Angeles show billed as "YouTube Comments," a supposed Voidz tribute act. It is a fine way to test new material, and a tidy way of getting the reviews in early.

Also at Kops: more The Voidz on vinyl · browse Alternative

Tracklist

Listen

On Cult / RCA (cat# 19075-82769-1), the 2018 album.