Viet Cong has a lot to say and live up to.
The post-punk band came together in the ashes of one of the best Canadian rock bands, Women, and in many ways feels like an extension of that project. The scrappy guitars are still intact, as are the throaty vocals.
Viet Cong is a new band however, trading in Women’s Beach Boys-echoing hooks for something more akin to a roughly textured collection of dark guitar rock.
The band’s debut, self-titled album opens with a mission statement—the black kaleidoscope of “Newspaper Spoons.” Howling guitars and chanted vocals find a confrontational groove on top of twinkling keys, creating a beautiful juxtaposition.
This is the band’s default mode, mangling great melodies with harsh instrumentation, like yelling Taylor Swift hits through a tin-can telephone.
The album stays fairly consistently at the high quality it begins with. Psych-rock influences become more obvious deeper into the album, such as on “Bunker Buster,” a weaving, fairly accessible track that is the most fit track to act as a single.
The seven-song album ends with “Death,” an 11-minute track that encompasses every side of the band. It’s a defining statement and a great one to end an album on.
Viet Cong sounds refreshing and unpredictable, a welcome listen to any fan of experimental rock.
