Los Angeles – Casting themselves as young misfits from the blue-collared macho south coast of Massachusetts, Brandon Hagen and Drew MacDonald of Vundabar have created a sophomore album that mostly fits into the contemporary indie rock scene. On Gawk, riffs crash over each other with unexpectedly shifting and lurching pacing; the result is a wonderfully unwieldy set of rock and roll anthems. Self-released, the album’s themes were heavily influenced by personal struggles and the band’s grueling road schedule.
Gawk opens in an extremely promising fashion, hooking the listener in with two of the most exhilarating mid-tempo tracks of the last few years. “Chop” gets things started with a stuttering guitar riff that is heavily influenced by 90’s indie rock forbearers like Built to Spill and Modest Mouse. By the time the song hits the chorus, Hagen’s vocals follow a sing-song structure and the staccato guitars rhythmically punch through the mix.
The first single from the album and the second track of the opening 1-2 punch is “Oulala”. It begins with a frantic run of descending guitar chords before twisting into a funky bridge riff. The twisting, complicated guitar riff is the perfect yin to the verse’s yang. During the verse, Vundabar’s instruments plod along and feel like they run out of steam. On the contrary, the threesome is not running out of steam, instead reserving energy for what is a gem of a chorus. Over stomping rhythms, Hagen quips in a bright falsetto, “I want to give it to you / I want to show you some / ououlalalala.”
For much of the running length, the listener gets an “indie rock jukebox” kind of vibe from this album. As mentioned earlier, “Chop” has a Pacific Northwest-inspired intro riff; “Darla” has the kind of high-speed, jangling guitar riff that has been perfected by Cloud Nothings; the blues-punk of “Warn Wanderer” makes for a faithful homage to Black Lips; “Cotton Kid” and “Ash in the Sun” open with the same kind of chanted vocals and rhythmic guitar riffs that define Abe Vigoda’s early-era “tropical punk.” However, each song is a pastiche of these styles, and that seamless blending of popular styles gives Vundabar’s songs a unique quality.
The biggest disappointment with Gawk is that the rest of the album fails to live up to the peak of “Chop” and “Oulala”. While “Darla”, “Alien Blues” and the lightning-quick “Bust” give the middle half of the record some buoyancy, the back end of the full-length fails to produce anything worthy of excitement. Songs like the lightly dancehall-tinged “Smile Boyo” or “Desert Diddy” have zero cringe worthy moments and are not a complete bore, but they fail to reach that critical mass of irresistibility heard earlier.
Vundabar has a busy couple of months ahead, with an East Coast tour in support of Gawk planned. The trio will head from their native New England all the way down to the Deep South and then back up the coast. They even have a one-off date in Montreal, QB!
Check Vundabar ’s facebook and Bandcamp page for more information on tickets and shows.
Matt Matasci
Latest posts by Matt Matasci (see all)
- The Shelters Perfects Rock and Roll at Bardot - June 30, 2016
- Featured Artist: The Shelters - June 8, 2016
- Andrew Bird Charms Los Angeles with Fiona Apple - May 18, 2016
