While their music features the warm, classic instrumentation of guitars, drums, bass and piano paired with traditional pop arrangements, Voda is far from a pedestrian modern rock band. When married to the intricate rhythms and avant garde, serpentine guitar leads that are the true hallmarks of its sound, something special happens in the music. Voda’s songs, often intuitive enough to be performed on a single instrument, become propulsive and vibranct when played with a full band. They are infused with a sense of urgency that belies their elliptical lyrics. The overall effect is an easily-embraced sound that’s familiar yet contemporary, as inviting as it is distanced.
Voda rarely stays in one place for long. From the dusty, spooky, “Continental” and the soaring, electrostatic crunch of “The Airport Bar” to the hard-charging political power pop of “Come On,” this is the sound of a group pushing the limits of what can be done within a well-defined identity. Songs like “Lowell” and “By the Sea” are campfire stories at twilight, set against an angular new-wave backdrop. Others, such as “Rule 21,” “University” and “Call Me Doctor” assault the listener with equal parts ennui, anxiety and rage.
Influences include the Jesus and Mary Chain, New Order, Wilco, the Manic Street Preachers, the Cure, Radiohead, U2, the Twilight Singers and Guided By Voices.