Vazz
formed in Glasgow during the early '80s, and initially consisted of vocalist/lyricist
Anna Howson
and multi-instrumentalist
Hugh Small
. With
Howson
's ethereal harmonies floating over
Small
's sparse drum machines and mysterious guitar hooks, the duo's music fell somewhere between coldwave, post-punk, and dream pop. The five-song mini-album
Your Lungs and Your Tongues
(released in 1986 by
Cathexis Recordings
, also home to records by
Fini Tribe
and
Pink Industry
) was one of a handful of vinyl releases the pair made before splitting up near the end of the decade. As
resurfaced during the 2010s with solo piano and ambient compositions,
's scant '80s discography was rediscovered and revived in several different configurations by the
Forced Nostalgia
Stroom
labels.
Numero Group
's 2025 LP edition of
appends the original five-song release with tracks from the group's two 1987 singles, as well as "Solitary Sun," a 1983 song previously unearthed on the
compilation
Submerged Vessels and Other Stories
. This set begins with "Breath," originally the final song on the 1986 record, and it makes a perfect introduction to the group's sound, repeating intriguing lyrics like "the city has sighed" and "you can't move anymore" as the backing vocals expand and become more ghostly. "Your Final Word" has a bit more of an urgent, danceable rhythm, while "Pearls" is closer to anthemic post-punk. The clinking drum machines and heavenly vocals of "Bleached White Skin" are a bit more in line with early
Cocteau Twins
. "Silver," with its sly clarinet line and hand percussion, and the lighter, strummier "For a Reason" both suggest a darker version of '80s
Everything But the Girl
. Over cascades of acoustic guitars, the lyrics of "Feverpitch" are among the duo's most assured and uplifting.
's songs are definitely growers, and their music haunts and intrigues in all the right ways. ~ Paul Simpson