The Virginmarys
The EP
Sitting Ducks
-review by Cassie Hughes
If you have been round the gig circuit for the past five to ten years you will have undoubtedly heard of The Virginmarys. As well as touring and performing independently you will have found them supporting the likes of Shinedown and Slash; and if you have social media you will see that the chatter about them there is consistently positive. Their album repertoire consists of mini albums and EP’s that are self-released projects but don’t let that fool you into believing that their music is anything but a well-oiled machine full of lyrical awesomeness.
Fine-tuned tight performances set these guys apart from many similar bands trying to find a foothold in the modern day rock scene, and their work ethic is second to none. Their most recent EP, Sitting Ducks, is in simple terms, pure evolution. From their debut EP (Cast The First Stone) you can clearly hear their progress as performers. The title track is a multi-layered piece of art, with drums layered over guitars, layered over synths, layered over some arse-kicking vocals that come together to deliver an anthem that is worthy of being the opening track.
‘Sleep’ is the first and only ballad that we hear on Sitting Ducks, with an evocative vocal performance and heart wrenching percussion blended with guitar. I cross my heart and hope to die, if that doesn’t win you over then hopefully the bass driven ‘Sweet Loretta’ will do it for you. It packs a punch and a half and genuinely seems to channel some Matthew Bellamy of old school Muse in there. Of course if you prefer a punchy guitar solo mixed with some Grohl-esque vocals maybe “Through the Sky” is your jam.
It’s difficult to refrain from comparing bands when listening to new music, listeners often search for the familiar to find something likeable. If you haven’t heard of The Virginmarys before, go and download their entire back catalogue. Then find a gig that they are headlining or supporting and listen to their live performance. These guys know what they are doing and do not fail to deliver a high calibre performance. Get them on your watch list, your listen to list, your Spotify playlists. They are worth it.