Vivii’s last single, ‘Summer of 99’, also from their forthcoming album (spring 2021) was a good one but somewhat marred by the peculiar introduction of what sounded like a piece of farm machinery into the melody. Happily there’s no repeat with this one, which has them reverting to more of a traditional synth-pop style.
There are lyrics to ‘Rendezvous’ but to be honest you won’t need to understand them or even listen to them because this track is all in the music and the unwinding nature of Caroline Jonsson’s vocal which merge into each other until they become one.
It starts off with tender acoustic guitar, soon underpinned by equally gentle synths and a cleverly constructed vocal melody line which contrasts with the main melody. Then on the two-minute mark it shifts into an almost orchestral multi-synthesiser section which seems to envelop Caroline’s heavenly vocal.
Just when you think it will continue in that vein until the end a bass line appears, which is in itself a catalyst for the return of the acoustic guitar over another, different melody and it takes on a soft prog feel, like something Argent might have recorded.
If all this sounds complicated it is but you won’t notice the complexity because it is so well structured, so smooth, that it’s an absolute delight. Towards the end it all comes together euphorically like one of Bob Ross’ masterful 30-minute landscape paintings on BBC4.
I’m not quite sure what the Rendezvous is all about but the artwork is of a corridor not unlike the one Danny rides his bike along in The Shining.
No horror story here though. More of a romance. You’ll fall in love with it. There’s dream pop and there’s wet dream pop. You just found it.
‘Rendezvous’ is released today on 14th October.
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