Saturday 10th May 01:00 PM
photograph by : Steve Gullick
On release of 2007s 'Mandalay' [a collection of early recordings and CDR releases] the band were described by INDEPENDENT as similar in approach to Animal Collective and warned that the band was capable of great things with their upcoming debut release 'Distance'. TIME OUT also warned to expect great things and admired the band for their experimental edge yet effortless almost sub-conscious way with a melody. The NME described them as Radioheads "Kid A...but on a country retreat" and fanzines such as God Is In The Tv and High Voltage praised their original sound while admitting it was hard to pin them down to just one genre.
“An effortless almost subconscious way with a melody” 4/5 TIME OUT
“Bringing to mind Jackie O Motherfucker, Animal Colective and slint…this band is capable of great things.” The Independent
“The right dosage” PLAN B
“A haunting patchwork made from chamber-pop fragments” LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS
“A breath of fresh air in the tired British music scene” Boomkat
ICA Review:
"Staffordshire's Virgin Passages. Numbering six tonight, they took the stage and readied their instruments. The group's appearance seemed mismatched and underplayed, their demeanour, concentrated and inhibited. Indeed, from their opening track, their music seemed strange and abstract. Keyboards, guitars, bass, a clarinet, and some percussion made up the instrumentation along with boy/girl vocals. Hypnotic, eerie, ethereal, their second tune ‘Who do you love' was a muffled, melancholy trip, a come down with pangs of sadness. Throughout their set, Virgin Passages used dynamics well and had some truly beautiful melodies and harmonies. The different tones of voice building folksy, spiritual chants and phrases. A stand-out track, for me, was ‘Distance' which begins with a hazy, Tarantino-esque guitar part and smoky female vocals, then opens out as waves of voices wash over us. Having bewildered and entertained the growing crowd, Virgin Passages left the stage. An intriguing live act, their recordings are equally interesting and worth a listen"