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The Voidz, Virtue

The VoidzVirtue



Formerly "Julian Casablancas and the Voidz," the former Strokes frontman’s new band has removed its most famous member’s name from the title, asserting its identity as a unit. It’s a good move, because the Voidz are not a backing band; they are an original, experiemental, genre-confounding powerhouse of unpredictability. They are also nothing like the Strokes, and frankly, while the Strokes were great at what they did, the Voidz are infinitely more interesting. The band goes wherever it wants to here and there’s not always a lot of rhyme or reason to it. This album is messy and jagged and not the most cohesive record ever made, but in terms of raw creativity, it’s a marvel, and it’s worth every twist and turn. Highlights: “QYURRYUS,” “Pyamid Of Bones,” “All Wordz Are Made Up”

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