Santa Fe Reporter “SFR Picks—Week of May 25”
by Alex De Vore
Smooth Like
Velvet Vision brings synthy goodness to Lost Padre Records concert series
The free shows keep on coming to Water Street record store Lost Padre, this time in the almost overwhelmingly synthy form of PSIRENS, Theo Krantz, Teleporter and, one of our new faves, Velvet Vision.
“I wouldn’t call myself a nerd so much,” says Velvet Vision’s one-woman-army of Betty Taylor when asked if she was always a synth nerd. “I just really like the sound of electronic music, and especially that ‘80s synth-pop sound.”
That’s an apt description of Taylor’s sound, though thinking you’re just going to catch some kind of Eurythmics tribute act would be selling Taylor short. She’s a bit of a melody master, honestly, the sort of composer who finds pop goodness, but smartifies it with layers and loops and a satisfying vocal style.
It’s a far cry from Taylor’s Minnesota roots, where she was really more of a violinist. Maybe having some of that capital-S serious music theory lends her a certain know-how that’s transferable to synth, but on her new-ish single release “Silver City” from January, which is available via velvetvision.bandcamp.com, Taylor surprisingly dips into a somehow even more pleasant version of Electric Light Orchestra’s “Strange Magic.” Setting aside Jeff Lynne’s tragically chronic bout with under-appreciation, Taylor’s version wows, and her original song—produced with help from local Krantz—feels like a more studious sound from Sparks’ Girogio Moroder phase, or even David Grellier’s College. Taylor’s whispery talk-singing errs a bit more toward intriguing and secretive than it does bubblegum, though, and once you’ve got this thing in your head, good luck getting it out.
Budding fans should note Velvet Vision’s heading toward a mini-hiatus soon, trading in regular performance for a bit of writing.
Taylor tells SFR she’d like to get a full-length record going at some point, and she’ll need focus. Before then, jump at this chance to hear pop gold. (Alex De Vore)