VRWRK – On the Outside
VRWRK play tug of war with your mind on On the Outside, a record that keeps you second guessing with its dazzling diversity in both its sounds and sensations
On the Outside is the ten-track debut album from East-London pop-tronica trio VRWRK, a meeting of the minds of producers Matt Sey (a psychiatrist by day) and Jergan Callebaut (a psychologist) and the vivid vocals of Salem Khazali (a graphic designer). If you perceive this to be an unlikely medley, then you’re not the first. However, once you’re welcomed inside VRWRK’s debut, their intrinsic interconnection is instantly transparent.
Opener, Different Crowd lures you in with an enigmatic strings pedal, establishing a notion of unpredictability that runs throughout. A wailing electric guitar escalates the tension of the first chorus, before making room for a warm steel drum in the second that’s so befitting you’re only surprised that you didn’t expect it. The multicultural moments continue throughout, the airy panpipes on You Feel Me (Utterly Amazing) being just one example. Your Touch infiltrates your senses. It’s an example of the trio’s ability to use sound to overwhelm you to a point where the track almost feels tangible. Here, the mesmerising, heady world of the early synth break drags you tumbling in.
The highlight lies in addictive house triumph Hearts Beating in Sync, where the bassline instantly captures you before you shower in the whispers of Khazali’s falsetto, encompassing the bittersweetness of the record. Its pulsing nature makes you think of dancing, but the bruised lyrical persona – 'Live your life on the bright side / Nothing counts when your dead inside' –alludes it to a gloomy morning after.
Wait It Out is a climactic end, that recognises its preceding darkness, as much as it is euphoric. The underpinning broken synth chords almost convey a sense of steadying and the interlude afterwards confirms that VRWRK have in-fact 'emerged from the mist.'
Listen to: Hearts Beating in Sync, Wait It Out, Your Touch
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