After Venn settled on the numbers in late 2014 they started performing live and put out a couple of 'twelves' that garnered a good reaction from the press.
Even though one member relocated to Berlin, the band persisted and 'Runes' is the result. Moving past their early post-punk-krautrock template and into 'poppier' waters, this album is influenced by the likes of Wire and Liars. As increasingly seems to be the case with albums, 'Runes' is 'front-loaded' with the best material. The moody 'Legacy Project' and the more spiky 'Real Blood' (single), both of which are solid tracks. After that things seem to mooch about a bit too much for my liking and my interest dwindles.
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Nevertheless, there are still some highlights including 'Waxen Palm' which has its hands all over the 'motorik' dial and some nice vocal hooks. There is undoubtedly an audience for this type of keyboard-based, Joy Division-type indie music and I guess there always will be although I am slightly nonplussed as to why that is still the case. I guess there will always be angst-ridden, moody young men who want to escape bedsit land and get down to this sound and I wish them and their floppy fringes all the very best. This may well be a band they can take to their hearts.
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