Pavlove is a five-piece indie-pop band out of Ghent, Belgium that was formed in 2014 as a four-piece and played gigs around the Ghent area until recently heading to the studio. The EP, Because Of You (November 2016) is the culmination of a re-tuning of the band’s sound alongside producer Tobie Speleman. The result is a clean, retro-pop sound with a touch of melancholy and just enough of a modern vibe to make them accessible across many age groups and genres.

The band is Reina Rasti and Fabian Rasti who trade-off lead vocal duties and play keyboards and guitar respectively. They are aided by Daan Van Isterdael (bass, backing vocals) and Tars Der Vaerent (drums) round out the original bandmates and recent addition, Helena Mayorga-Paredes (guitar, backing vocals). The instruments throughout Because Of You are not overplayed or emphasized which is a tribute to good production values. The sound is accomplished and full as a band might sound that had been together ages longer than Pavlove.

Reina Rasti’s throaty alto on the title track (seen/heard here) is magnificent! Though both Reina and Fabian are listed as co-lead vocalists, Reina seems to be more front and center, with her vocals dominating four of the five tracks here. When My Girl Puts Her Lipstick On has a catchy minor-key guitar lick that leads everything off, then adds in Reina’s vocals, and manages to rock a bit on the refrain. The backing vocals are perfectly executed on this track as well, adding a wonderful chorus effect without overshadowing Reina’s lead.  Play also has that minor key feel throughout and the track soars, with a very uplifting result. If She Really Is Your Light, features Fabian Rasti with the lead vocal reins firmly in hand. His warm baritone adds just the right feel to the lyric, “If she really is your light, don’t let her go.”

All five tracks have a unifying sound without being repetitive. This is a band that Vodka wants to hear much more from. Perhaps in a year or so we will have a long-player with this marvelous sound to review. Keep your fingers and toes crossed on that!

There’s little information on the band out there; Certainly no one-stop-shop for information. You can find a little info from the band’s facebook.com site. There is a great and somewhat humorous description of the band on vi.be. The dearth of band information aside, the end result of Pavlove, as these five tracks exhibit, is
marvelous!  

You can pick up Because Of You (the EP) from the group’s bandcamp.com site.  Check Pavlove out now!