Reviews
"You're like the B52's but way cooler. You make me want to drink like 30 beers!"
Boston Groupie News - live performance review 3/1/2019 with The Monochrome Set
The set before was by The Very. They are a direct continuation of that post punk spirit. It’s so great to see that, and that’s why we are still doing the BGN after all these years too, punk continues on.
The Very started with an acoustic guitar for a few songs but we liked it best when they picked up the electric. They have that song that always gets a snicker, “I Only Love You When I’m Drunk”. How did the country and western writers not get to that first? Another fave was a song called “Steve Jobs”. That’s a song that we would have put on a cart at the Late Risers Club back in the day and play to death.
The Very's Bandcamp page. A representative song would be “Perfumed Apocalypse”
Guitarist Julie also had Botticelli's Birth of Venus painted on her guitar. Cool
Photo by Blowfish
METRONOME MUSIC REVIEW: Hurricane Change, a 5 song EP by The Very
• A LITTLE SUGAR WITH YOUR ARSENIC (radio edit)
• HURRICANE CHANGE
• A WELL-ARMED MAN
• IMMORTAL
• CONTRAIL GOODBYE
• A LITTLE SUGAR WITH YOUR ARSENIC
The Very (3/4 of the former Fertile Virgin) are back with a gritty, linear and searing tale of deceit and betrayal to spice up any relationship. It’s the right mix of socially relevant and garagy with Julie Kantner’s up front deadpan vocals and quirky leads.
The rest of the band, Leslie and Donna come more into the sweeter vocal mix of “Hurricane Change.” They gel into near perfect unison for the vocal melodies of “A Well-Armed Man” which has some tasty hooks. “Immortal” has a lot of vocal twists and turns amid the traditional indie signature guitar and drum sound.
The Very lighten the musical tone for “Contrail Goodbye” with some finger picking and mandolin like leads that perk- up this soon to be airport classic. The lead track gets another crack with a little extra spicy language to drive home the point. This one has to be heard at full volume. A classic for the old and new fans. [Gecko] Contact-- https://www.thevery.rocks
METRONOME MUSIC REVIEW: Perfumed Apocalypse, a 5 song EP by The Very
The all girl, Boston based indie band, Fertile Virgin, broke up more than 20 years ago. Here, 3 of the veterans, all grown up and full of life experiences,
team up again to see if the formula still works, boasting all new aliases. FV always impressed with the momentous intros underlined with solid chugging guitar and deadpan vocals air brushed with lovely backing vocals accented with simple yet effective pinging leads. “Perfumed Apocalypse” from Rose
Defiant is no exception on this monument to the Indie pop genre. Bassist Baby Woman sings “I’m Not Your Satellite” and has the backing vocals from Lady Paprika adding some great extra flavor. “Sneak Attack” has a fervent vocal tone on her next defiant piece. Somebody‘s ears must be ringing. Rose defiant is back with “Angel of the Interstate” where she offers to be there for you on this slightly upbeat, yet melancholic piece with its trademark chugging guitar sound. “The Road To Hurt” has a really light and sweet lead guitar intro, which with the bittersweet vocals/text really melt your heart. It’s a bit like better Sonny and Cher or fresher Monkees, for modern times. The Very do the occasional gig in Boston/Cambridge. - Gecko, Metronome, June 2017
DIVIDE AND CONQUER: music review of Perfumed Apocalypse by The Very
In 2014, some of the original five members of the band Fertile Virgin reconnected after over twenty years and formed a musical duo called Cricket, which eventually transformed in 2016 into The Very, a pop rock trio with hints of garage rock and classic rock n’ roll mixed in. Their debut record entitled Perfumed Apocalypse was released in February 2017.
The opening track, the title track of the album, is a bright, upbeat rock song with heavy lyrics that muse about gullible men and destructive women. A host of instruments, including pounding drums, steadily strummed electric guitars and throbbing bass, lay down the soundscape over which strong female vocals carry the melody and harmonies.
The energy continues in “I’m Not Your Satellite” a reflective piece that explores independence in the modern context. Echoing vocals and gradually building snare riffs add flavor to the already full instrumentation, and grunge-tinged guitars make powerful chord changes even more aggressive. Following, “Angel Of The Interstate” highlights The Very’s ability to blend beautiful harmonics with fast-paced, highly dynamic style in a novel, unique way.
“Sneak Attack” features unconventional rhythms and tight chord progressions in the introductory riff, a catchy riff that repeats throughout the song as it builds and gradually crescendos into a full-fledged anthem. In the record’s final track “The Road To Hurt” The Very maintains their characteristic sound, yet the band adds a lead guitar to the mix. This less distorted, almost twang-infused guitar brings a new element to the band’s sound, making for a very intriguing listening experience.
As a whole, Perfumed Apocalypse is a multivalent collection of five songs that are as approachable as they are enjoyable. This masterful work shows just how possible it is for a group of experienced musicians to come together to create quality music, even after multiple decades of being apart.
- Andrew Westbury, Divide and Conquer 4/13/17
Boston Groupie News - live performance review 9/5/2016
The Very have Julie Kantner from the Fertile Virgins. She’s been in many bands since then. The Very are low key and their attention is on the songs. Initially it came across as alright indie music to me, then there were 5 songs in the row at the end that made me think, ‘this is an EP I’d love to have”. The first song that stuck out was Road To Hurt which was a simple song of fate that hit its target. Other songs were Perfumed Apocalypse, Sneak Attack, and one with a winning title – I Only Love You When I’m Drunk. How can that not be a country song? At the end of their set they played Do the Boob, that was cool.