Album Review: Velvet Insane - Rock N Roll Glitter Suit

Language is a bit of an odd thing, when you think about it. We create systems to express the thoughts we have in our heads, but many of them are incapable of being boiled down into shared verbiage, so we struggle to truly understand what each other think and feels. And then there are the particular psychological quirks that allow us to do things like read words written backwards, or written without vowels, and the like. In the case of Velvet Insane, when I saw this album, my mind somehow saw the title of the record as "Rock N Roll Gutter Slut", which would totally fit with a sleazy glam rock record, but would have rubbed me the wrong way. I wonder if anyone who worked on this record, at any point, had the same thing happen to them.

As I just mentioned, Velvet Insane is a throwback to 70s glam rock. They have a fun atmosphere, pianos often popping up in the background, and a lot of effort being put into making the choruses hooky as all getout. As "Backstreet Liberace" played, there was an immediate comparison that came to my mind. What we get from Velvet Insane isn't far removed from a softer, less gritty and punky version of Michael Monroe's last two solo albums. We even get some saxophone to drive the point home. Considering how much I loved those two records, that comparison can only be a good thing.

"Backstreet Liberace" is a fantastic song. It's quirky, catchy, and the sort of thing that just makes me feel good. Not all music has charm, but this song certainly does. People will say that Andrew WK is the sound of party rock, but let's be honest; do we really want to be at a party where it's high energy all the time? That would wear me out way too fast, so something more laid back like Velvet Insane is actually much easier to have a good time with.

When we get to "Riding The Skyways", we not only get a song that rocks a little harder, but the chorus is addictive. Even the section of "na na" vocals works to drive home the collective experience we're being invited into. While a lot of rock records are busy trying to show off, whether that's how heavy or how over the top they can be, Velvet Insane is making a much smaller and more restrained record. It's all the better for that approach.

The only real drawback to the record is "Space Age DJ", which isn't their best song, and the lyrics name-checking old rock bands is a poor cliche at this point, one that also points out how bands like Velvet Insane are always going to be in the shadow of the bands they love, since we won't let the classics fade away. Plus, the shot at Lady Gaga is so out of place considering everything else about the record. It wasn't necessary, and frankly, it's weak sauce for a tiny little band that isn't even rocking that hard to be calling out one of the biggest artists in the world, especially when they aren't even in the same relative area of the music world.

That one mistake aside, the rest of "Rock N Roll Glitter Suit" is a fun record that makes for a nice lazy summer day soundtrack. These songs have charm, and while there isn't much being done to move things forward, that's fine. I enjoyed my time listening to the record, and wouldn't mind more rock bands having a good time.