I heard so many bad things about Viva Voce’s full-scale band side project Blue Giant that I actually never even listened to them. I was so afraid that a band that I loved had faltered that I chose to stick my head in the sand and ignore it until it went away. I realize this may not be the most mature approach to have taken, but I got used to it. So when I heard that the band was growing (Two more members! A total of four!) to record the new VV record I was afraid. Very afraid. I felt great trepidation when I picked up the album for the first time and even more anxiety as I reached to put it into the CD player for the first time. I worried for nothing, the new Viva Voce record is a great extension to their catalog; all the things that make Viva Voce great are still present. It’s a good old fashioned rock and roll record. The two extra members allow the band to develop a more well-rounded sound; they still have the straight-ahead rock, but songs like “Octovio” would have been tough to articulate with just two members. The subtle differences that two people can make, like the theremin on the intro to “Devotion,” are evident throughout the record. I’m still mad that I missed their show at Chop Suey in April.