VelvetHeroin : Naked Flame

I don’t know anything about VelvetHeroin other than the music videos that I saw online. In 2022, there were three quick singles before the full length release at the end of November. The 10 song album is a callback to older rock music, some of the music bringing a British rock tone along with more independent indie rock with a slice of psychedelic sounds. It’s an organic mix of styles that grabs your attention.

VelvetHeroin starts the album mellow with “The Faces.” It’s slow tempo rock track that highlights British rock influences with slow crescendo choruses. “You Don’t Know It Eats You” is where Naked Flame begins to push forward. The song continues the easy tempo while adding more layers. It’s probably where most people will start paying attention. Surprisingly, “You Don’t Know It Eats You” isn’t a title track.

Then VelvetHeroin spends some tracks cementing the foundation of the album and stylistic signature. “Draw the Line” is another highlight on Naked Flame that people can easily get drawn into. Vocals are in English and easy to follow. It’s like VelvetHeroin made sure that among the mix, the vocals aren’t buried inside the instrumentals.

There is a good song mix with some songs highlighting VelvetHeroin’s more melodic nature like “Take your time.” But there’s also a nice change on “Light up plz” with its faster tempo and higher energy level. All the songs live inside this rock and indie rock genre providing a nice variety so you never get tired. With 41 minutes of music, VelvetHeroin keeps your attention the whole time.

Naked Flame is a very strategically composed album. Some songs favor slower and melodic audio experiences, but VelvetHeroin is smart enough to add more exciting and compelling songs when the energy lowers. You get a lot of music to devour and there are definitely specific songs that get your attention above others. Personally, I wish VelvetHeroin would go a little deeper into more aggressive songs because tracks seem to only glance at the surface of what’s possible. “Men Under the Black Sun” is a perfect example of this.

Overall, VelvetHeroin’s Naked Flame is an impressive debut full length. It covers a lot of ground with 10 songs and delivers an excellent audio experience for people looking for something that sounds a little more familiar.

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