Nostalgia for the unremembered 80s, James Murphy used to bitch about it. David Vandervelde is pretty nostalgic about stuff (yes, stuff as in far too many things all together in the same jar). Not the 80s, though maybe he hangs around those things as well. T.Rex, stoners, limited vinyl releases, stuff like that. So there should be no shock that his Summer Hits EP is released as a 300-copies only vinyl format.
The four songs may not be new, but summertime pop genius drips from every second of these songs and makes it natural for this EP to be released now. The mantra-like Learn How to Hang seems to be Arcade Fire at double speed, with its exhilarating guitars, Casio-keyboards and twinkles and rapid hand claps. The T.Rex-scented Wave Country seems to be made out of explosions of sun: the fuzz, the guitar riffs, the metallic drums are all part of this finger-licking pop gem. The ghost of Marc Bolan is summoned once again by the insane glam-rock bluesy riff that opens Checkin’ Out My Baby. But there’s also the catchy vocals and stomping drums that make it such a perfect song for dancing your night away. Like the last song, Fancy Friends, and its high-spirited piano, it begs for numerous plays, it asks you to never let is go.
Summer Hits might not be all that new with all the four songs having been released digitally a while ago. But it’s an EP made out of instant classics and ear candy alone, four strong songs that almost yell how Vandervelde has that gift of crafting unforgettable music in his veins.
No comments:
Post a Comment