Woman

Violet Knives carry on a tradition that can trace its roots back to Joy Division, which has since been carried on by acts like Interpol or Franz Ferdinand. Their newest sees the band exploring pensive, often quiet-loud-quiet music I imagine is about relationships or women, given both the album title and the genre. It would be a misnomer to refer to this as emo, as the band doesn’t quite meet the criteria, but equally unfair to ignore the very obvious emotion put into the music; this is sensitive music, or at least it aspires to be. Violet Knives have crafted an entertaining album, albeit one that seems to capture a particularly early-’00s feel. Tracks like “Twin Heart” or “Sansei” break the mold, evoking more piano-driven pop than guitar histrionics.