Van She: Van She EP

Van She represents everything that’s wrong with Modular. I’m sorry, I love the label that’s brought us the Avalanches and the Presets, but their whole we’ll-bring-you-the-soundtrack-to-your-fashion-shows for the Sydney hipster set produces music almost as fake as any major’s latest pop starlet. And it’s Van She that gets the brunt of this, because they’re like putty for the label’s posturing. No doubt the band’s been swept up by the all-night drugs & fashion culture the label personifies, but the music sounds like it was made on the afternoon following, the heads of all involved much the worse for wear. From the fuzzed-out synths of “Mission” to the forgotten ’80s pop chorus of “Kelly”, attitude rules over musicianship; and the tunes on Van She’s self-titled debut EP are like a decades-old TV theme song, overwrought and disposable. This music is so indebted to a scene and a time that’s past for good reason, you almost wonder whether the whole thing is worth the effort.