By Connor Shelton, Rock At Night Contributor – St. Loui, MO
Review: Ava Vox – Immortalized – Release Date February 2022
Seasoned Dublin vocalist Ava Vox (real name Elaine Hannon) is set to put post-punk back on the map with her upcoming album Immortalized, the debut LP from the former Seventh Veil frontwoman. Though Hannon has largely been silent since her band’s disbandment in 1991, she reemerged in September 2020 with the new Ava Vox persona, and with it, a take on music that goes beyond simply rehashing the sound of ‘80s alternative music.
With “Crash” as our first taste of what the album has to offer, it’s clear that we’re in for a treat considering the way Vox’s dark, gothic voice strides atop the muscular backdrop of chiming guitars and thick bass. The whole thing gives off a claustrophobic vibe that is reminiscent of “Midnight Show” from the Killers’ 2004 album, Hot Fuss, and this energy makes perfect sense considering the focus on global warming and natural disasters in Vox’s video for “Crash.” It’s a simple clip, but one that enhances the power of the song.
Though “Crash” is the only song confirmed to be on Vox’s debut album, we do have a trio of covers that also point to the majesty of Immortalized. Among these covers, the most memorable is “Tainted Love” given that it turns the classic, synth-laden dance number into a fiery rocker dominated by Daniel Martin’s electric guitar and producer Ray McLoughlin’s bluesy organ runs. Similarly, Vox drastically reinterprets The Cure’s “Love Song,” into a downtempo, piano driven ballad which allows the singer to bring out the nuances of the lyrics in her own emotive and chilling fashion. If the rest of the album shows this level of creative vitality and experimentation – as I suspect it does – then we’ll be in for a treat.
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