Giant Step
Who can help a laugh at the name Vincent van Go Go? Vincent van Go(gh)? Go? That is so silly, you say. But this name is just the entrée into the band – and they will have you chuckling and dancing right up until the last cut of their debut album Do U Know? .
It would be interesting to know where this happy-go-lucky group of Danish boys draws its comparison to the impoverished Dutch artist who committed suicide before he received proper recognition for his art. Maybe the only hint to a touch point is found in their MySpace headline: "Ain't diggin' what you hear? - Cut off your ear!” Or maybe because, like Van Gogh, they say it like it is – with pure colors and bold strokes. Recorded in both Rio and Copenhagan, Do U Know? is a portrait in eclectism, such that I wondered at points if I was listening to a compilation album.
They start off with a good old-fashioned introduction. “Do U Know” sounds like a reggae tune with electronic spatterings, and they lay out the band's easy MO – they're just some guys who want to have fun and meet girls. “Don't Know” represents a patchwork of textures and sounds and starts out with a chant in the background. Using a tuba-like electronic pattern in the bass, vibraphone and drum and hand claps in unison on the offbeat, Jonathan Norrelykke (Tommy Boy's Camille Jones) uses his vocals to talk about the problems inherent in a serious relationship.
But they're back to their favorite subject for track #3 – “Girls.” Despite the misappropriated advice about cologne (If you don't like sleepin' alone, then don't forget your cologne…) this was the song that had me on my feet. The walking bass line played by Scooter Kold mixes with the keys (Dennis Ahlgren), drums (Janus Nevel Ringsted), and samples (“Terry Tester” Mansson) and combines to form what these guys love best – dance music. Originally formed as a dance band, Vincent van Go Go has honed its skill in clubs like Copenhagen 's Mid Week Brake as well as venues throughout Rio 's Ipanema area. This track as well as the other dance tunes is where the band comes most alive, including “Swiss Tunnel,” “Sexual Fridays,”and even “Vincent's Religion,” which solidifies Buddhist chant-like vocals and religious call-to-prayer bells in this style.
However, Vincent van Go Go's carefree joyfulness and love for experimentation run strong through every track. Track 6, “Little Red Interlude” is a sheer sample fest with an admonition to “Be good – don't eat Red Riding Hood.” And, just when you think these guys are just about silly names and picking up chicks, Vincent van Go Go shows that they are so much more with the two ballads on the album: “La la li” – a straightforward reggae-style love serenade – and “We'll See” – a soul style vocal heartthrob number with shadows of “Try A Little Tenderness” in the organ that hint at the depth of respect these guys have, for the style and for the ladies.
My sense is these guys can probably leave their cologne at home. Seriously, no girl can resist a guy with a funny name – especially when he knows how to play great music.