Review: Selene Vigil choreographs a “Tough Dance”
When 7 Year Bitch appeared for a Q&A at what was still called the Experience Music Project museum (since renamed the Museum of Pop Culture), the number one question from the audience was: Will the band ever reunite? That hasn’t happened. But the band’s lead singer, Selene Vigil, has returned with an immensely compelling release: Tough Dance.
It’s not her first solo release; that would be 2010’s That Was Then. After that, Vigil didn’t get back into the rock game until 2015, when she came up to the Seattle to play some benefit shows for James Atkins, the bassist with Hammerbox, who was battling cancer (sadly, Atkins died in 2016). The audience response to Vigil’s set (backed by Ben London and Tommy Bonehead of Alcohol Funny Car and Jason Finn of Presidents of the United States of America), was overwhelmingly positive, and Vigil eventually began working on new material with London.
The two ended up co-writing all the songs on Tough Dance. The record gets off to a bracing start with the cynical kiss off of “Sha-La-La,” a bitter critique of married life in what Vigil refers to as “Never Never Land,” with such pointed lines as “They said someday you’re gonna laugh about it/I said I ain’t never gonna laugh about it….” Remember that raspy growl of a voice Vigil used to such good effect on 7 Year Bitch records? It’s present and accounted for here; just listen to the way she pounds out the word “medi-ca-tion” on “Down in Flames,” then goes on to end the song with a full-on wildcat scream.
The brooding “My Nightmare” is another song about a burned out romance, with Vigil’s fuzzed-drenched voice pushed right up in your face (or ears, more accurately). You’re kept off balance by the pull-push of the alternative soft verse/loud chorus dynamic, and stark observations like, “Everything is on the floor/and most of it is broken.” “You’re just not happy! You’re not happy for me!” Vigil finally rages at the song’s end; a most satisfying conclusion.
What can you say about “Battery Street Tunnel” except that it’s terrific fun, getting off to a rollicking start before Vigil’s rapid fire vocal jumps in and takes off without looking back, before coming to abrupt stop. But however great it is to hear Vigil unleashing her voice full throttle, you also get to hear her stretch out. “Firelight” is a slow, bluesy burner, and the closing track, “Soul in Traction” takes a similar approach. The latter number is particularly atmospheric, with Vigil moaning, “I’m crawling, I’m crawling, I’m crawling on my hands and knees” in one sequence that starts out quietly, then builds in intensity, but never breaks through to any big release — there’s no concluding wild scream — keeping the proceedings firmly on simmer. They’re both stellar examples of the power of restraint.
The musicians, including London and Ryan Leyva on guitars (Leyva also produced), Drew Church on bass, and Davey Brozowski on drums, are absolutely first rate, matching Vigil blow for blow. Tough Dance is available now as a download, with a vinyl release planned for next year. Fans of 7 Year Bitch are especially encouraged to check out this release; you won’t be disappointed.
(Listen to ‘Tough Dance’ below via Soundcloud, purchase it at CD Baby and get more info about Selene Vigil on Facebook HERE.)