Genre/Influences: Electro-rock & pop.

Content: We here welcome a rather weird, but promising duo from L.A (USA) featuring Cooper Gillespie (vox & bass) and Greg Gordon (drums & Electronics). We here get a single featuring 3 songs so in the end it all looks a bit like 3 separate singles in one.

“Wish” is a beautiful and dreamy song revealing rough trip-pop elements while carried by a beautiful and elevating chorus reminding me of Q Lazarrus’ “Goodbye Horses” in a modern version. The sweet female vocals by Cooper Gillespie inject a kind of sterile, but sensual touch.

“Vegas” has a similar rough touch, but sounds quieter and a bit more into experimentalism. The song slowly evolves towards a cool final part, which is carried by a kind of psychedelic rock guitar.

Last, but not least “The Voyeur” sounds like a sexy and somewhat ‘explicit’ title, but it also reveals different influences. This is a cold, and a little bit disturbing, song for its mysterious atmosphere racing throughout the composition, which reminds me a bit of Portishead.

Out of the dark emerges an electronic, instrumental passage, which again brings this song to a higher dimension, which for sure is the main force of this crazy (check out their look) duo. The vocals are more whispering-like while male backing vocals only accentuate the part of mystery hanging over the song.

Conclusion: I didn’t know what to expect from Ultra Violent Rays, but they clearly focus on a very personal format of pop-rock music, which sounds a bit like a sonic intercourse between Portishead and Q Lazzarus.

Best songs: “Wish”, “Vegas”.

Rate: (DP:8)DP.

Band: http://theultraviolentrays.com / www.facebook.com/ultraviolentrays