RVG: Don’t Take It Badly
(Fire)
DL
To coincide with their latest UK dates, Australia’s RVG release a new digital single and a cracking Ramones cover to boot.
Australia’s RVG first hit our radar here at Louder Than War with their stunning second album, Feral. It shimmered with glorious jangle pop buttressed up against a garage-inspired urgency and told personal tales of prejudice and defiance that resonated with many. Last year’s follow-up, Brain Worms, was intensely political in the personal, doubled-down on what they had done before and came in high on our Albums of 2023 list.
On their new single, Don’t Take It Badly, they return with possibly their most jangle-pop song yet while continuing their personal ruminations, this time on the idea that change is not always a romantic movement, but that it can be, at times, pretty ugly. The song saunters over reverb-drenched arpeggios, their love of 80’s new wave shimmering through, the song bristling like a lost Bunnymen classic.
Over on the flip side, they apply their deft touches to The Ramones’ Pet Sematary. After having previously covered Björk and John Cale, they once again prove that they are a band that are able to stamp their own indelible identity on already-classic songs, making them feel instantly fresh, naturally-recognisably, yet instantly theirs. Their version broods even more than the original, but still retains the driving force that powered it. Another great choice for them and we await their fourth full-length with bated breath.
RVG begin their UK tour next week.
28 Aug: The Lexington, London
29 Aug: Crofters Rights, Bristol
30 Aug: End Of The Road, Lamer Tree Gardens
02 Sep: The Hug & Pint, Glasgow
03 Sep: Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
04 Sep: The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
Follow RVG on Bandcamp, Facebook and Instagram.
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Words by Nathan Whittle. Find his Louder Than War archive here.
Nathan also presents From The Garage on Louder Than War Radio every Tuesday at 8pm. Tune in for an hour of fuzz-crunching garage rock ‘n’ roll and catch up on all shows on the From The Garage Mixcloud playlist.
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