A Fine First Album
A classic rock album from Australian band Vanlustbader; it is hard to believe that this is their debut album, this is a glorious first release on par with Guns 'N' Roses legendary 'Appetite for Destruction'. So it may not be quite as good as their U.S predecessors, but these Brisbane boys are definitely onto something.
The band who have already drawn many comparisons to the likes of Oasis- probably due to the similarity in sound of the vocalists- have truly delivered a strong album drawing a variety of influences, with no two tracks sounding the same.
They could be a good Brit pop band, they could be 80's rock legends, what they are not is the same formulated Indie rubbish or another Killers' clone that seems to be filling the music industry at the moment.
The opening track 'Communique' is a promising start to the album resembling early Oasis or Primal Scream but with some glam rock sleazy guitar riffs thrown in for good measure. The second track, 'Here We Go Again' has more of an 80's synth-pop sound to it, with a Gary Numan-esque bass line; it is a substantially lighter track and more radio friendly, very reminiscent of something that the Dandy Warhols would release.
Track three 'Cuba' has a hazy distorted guitar sound, it is one of the more laid back songs on the album and again has that Oasis similarity as well as an 80's Indie rock influence akin to bands such as Jesus & Mary Chain.
'Let's Roll 'Em' is up next, moving back towards the filthy riffs seen in the opening track, with a glam rock goodness comparable to T-Rex. This is shortly followed by a song just a minute and a half long, before moving on to the first ballad of the album 'When Good Things Go Bad', which produces more dazed and blurry instrumentals and vocals.
The last third of the album begins on a more sombre note with 'VLB Disco' before moving into 'Radio Tokyo' a beautifully dirty track usually seen these days in sleazy Scandinavian bands like the Backyard Babies. Vanlustbader are like a wonderful collection of every rock cliché, they seem to pull it off that rock star cool effortlessly.
The album finishes on 'Rock 'N' Roll Part III'; which begins with the same drumbeat as Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' and contains one of the most wonderful lines in any recent rock anthem. In fact I'm going to end the review on this line:
'I love rock and I love roll, but music can't save my soul'.