Fresh from the release of debut UK single ‘The Energy’, Californian-based Audiovent show us exactly what they’re made of with their new album Dirty Sexy Knights In Paris.

The fact that three quarters of the band, including pretty boy frontman Jason Boyd, are related to members of Incubus, gives a pretty good indication to how their music will sound before you even listen to it.

The aforementioned ‘The Energy’ opens the album, with rolling drum loops, nifty guitar licks and the same sort of angst-filled lyrics that have come up trumps recently for like-minded acts Nickelback and Linkin Park. “Every now and then I think about you / it’s bringing me closer to closure’ rasps Boyd.

The quartet have actually been together for near on a decade and recorded a US only album in 1999 under their original moniker Vent. The album, Papa’s Dojo, sold some 3000 copies via the Internet and local gigs and was enough to secure a deal with Atlantic in 2001.

The band name Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and The Who among their influences, but it’s the work of more recent acts that ring through here. ‘I Can’t Breathe’ nods towards 90s grunge act Alice In Chains whilst ‘Stalker’ bears the occasional passing resemblance to Bush.

The album does require a few listens before many of the songs become distinguishably different from one another, but two mellower numbers ‘When I Drown’ and ‘Sweet Frustration’ stand out from the edgier ones from the first listen and offer proof that the band are capable of carrying a good tune without all the heavy drumming and loud guitars.

There are a lot of bands like Audiovent currently jostling for position in the rock scene, but these guys should have no trouble at all holding their own against the rest of the pack.
(4/5)

Release Date: 14 October 2002

Dirty Sexy Knights In Paris