reax music magazine :: music + culture » Reviews » Dengue Fever - Venus on Earth

Take a wild, imaginative stab at the sound of Cambodian pop, and then throw it in the blender with some psychedelic jazz, and a heap of avante-rock, and you’ll get Dengue Fever. Not the wildly infectious disease, but equally infectious, Venus on Earth is the third studio album from these Californians whose roster features a genuine Cambodian transplant. Chhom Nimol’s magically seductive vocals often serve an aesthetic purpose, unless you speak Khmer. “Seeing Hands” is a perfect example of Dengue Fever’s utilization of her vocals as a musical instrument, framing Nimol’s exotic voice in the context of its sound and allowing it to diverge from, yet compliment, the familiar sounds of American rock. In contrast, we find Nimol vacillating between Khmer and English in the epic groove, “Woman in the Shoes.” Meanwhile, “Oceans of Venus” is an instrumental track with a distinctly surf rock flavor and minty hints of jazz. Venus on Earth is a captivating musical fusion worthy of the time of a patient listener. – Christian Crider