Vii-Pii - Dead Go Fast!

Vii-Pii

Dead Go Fast!
​self-released; 2022

By Matt Jensen

Vii-Pii is the moniker of Vianney P from Paris, France. The artist released Seeking the Shroud and Sparkle Then Vanish both of which were reviewed here at Divide and Conquer. He is back with Dead Go Fast! which he explains is a bit of a homage to his previous band. The artist says “When Vii-Pii was seventeen in Paris, he had a serious band named Dead Go Fast. Though Dead Go Fast disbanded long ago, founding member Vii-Pii recently re-recorded these famous old songs he had made for the band. The outcome is this: ‘Dead Go Fast!’ LP.”

The songs felt like a more upbeat post-punk style not too far from a band like The Cure or Joy Division but there are deviations. “Le Cri” starts with sounds like a dog howling and a guitar riff. It’s an interesting combination of sounds to start the album. The drums and main groove quickly snaps in and vocals soon follow. As I mentioned there’s a post-punk quality but the song does feel more celebratory as it progresses. Great opener. 

“The Heretic” is next and contains some really well done guitar arpeggios that are backed by pads, a consistent 4/4 beat and earnest vocals. As an English speaker I did have some trouble making out the lyrics but I liked the tone, inflection and overall delivery.

I’ve also been a fan of surf rock especially when it’s presented in a novel way. Those were my thoughts on “She UZ” which is the arguable highlight. The main guitar is a mix between surf rock and spaghetti western. There’s a dark and ominous quality to the song but it has an undeniable hook which seems to come out from the clouds. I loved the baritone-like spoken word breakdown towards the end of the song.

“F” is more of a ballad and slow burn. This song makes you feel like you’re deep in thought thinking about a decision you have to make. There’s a warm blend of guitars and synths and I liked the vocals with some melancholy on them.

“Alice Is Playing With Matches'' on the other hand is almost the exact opposite. The song is a romp and bursts from the seams at points. There’s a blend of choral-like vocals on the hook with the vocalist reaching the upper limits of his vocal range.

“Lust” got more into the post-punk type song but the bass line was sort of funky which gave the song a unique angle. It made me think of a ’70s disco song mixed with some post-punk aesthetic.

“Hands” gets the vocalist to a low vocal range and ends up sounding similar to Leonard Cohen. There’s a lot happening in terms of the music. Last up is “Running So Blue” which contains a smooth and relaxing quality. It sounded stoic. 

​I thought it was very cool that the artist went back to his roots to uncover these songs. The artist gave them new life and created an engaging LP from beginning to end. Take a listen.

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