It's hard to believe that it has been three years since Venus Hum came out with their major-label debut Big Beautiful Sky, an amazing collection of electro-pop that tested boundaries and that drew comparisons to such eclectic artists like Imogen Heap (Frou Frou) and Bjork. Of course, it didn't help that during those three years, they had a recording contract collapse due to a merger and then lead singer Annette Strean lost her singing voice due to a vocal node condition. While Strean has recovered, she no longer sings with the force of previous records; however, she still commands attention with her vocal styling and still remains remarkably expressive. None of this seems to have deterred Venus Hum and so they have come back to together and released a new album called The Colors in the Wheel.
On the album The Colors in the Wheel, Strean's voice is layered over the digital music which creates a lush soundscape that is hypnotic and emotional. We find this new release has more of an acoustic vibe than their previous efforts, which sometimes works amazingly well while other times falling short when compared to their previous work, especially toward the end of the album. The album opens with the breezy Turn Me Around, an acoustic ballad that picks up strength as it goes, solely consisting of a computer-manipulated guitar and Strean's voice shifting from a whisper to an rich, throaty sound. The Colors in The Wheel also contains its share of harder dance tracks, like Yes and No and Do You Want to Fight Me Yes and No is one of their heavier tracks, mixing edgy guitars with beating rhythms and complex programming in the mix, while the beautiful track Birds and Fishes descends into a downtempo vibe with light electro melodies and acoustic guitars adding to Strain's enchanting vocals. You Break Me Down is another track which works well on this album with its synth-pop sound and Strean singing about exhaustion in a voice that keeps pushing to the edge of cracking, then coming back stronger.
Unfortunately though we find that the end of the album tends to be the weakest link. Surgery in the Sky sounds a bit disjointed and bland, at best, while 72 Degrees lacks the beauty of the previous tracks on the album. The worst song on the album, though, has to be Pink Champagne because the various sounds seem to drown each other out and really take away from the vocals, seeming more like a mess than an actual song. These tracks seem to lose focus due to needless stops and starts resulting from doing too much on production and not letting the songwriting carry the music. The album does end on a bright note with the enchanting track Go To Sleep, which showcases the songwriting that Venus Hum is capable of.
Colors in the Wheel is an album that will be appreciated more by Venus Hum's fans than the casual new listeners. While the music is definitely original and has some bright spots, I am afraid the album as a whole doesn't gel together and might be a challenging listen to some. Hopefully Venus Hum can overcome the obstacles of the past few years and this release and create more albums that are as coherent and brilliant as their past albums and keep breaking down musical boundaries.
