Vacant Lots - Departure
by Anthony Strutt
published: 10 / 6 / 2014
Label:
Sonic Cathedral
Format: CD
intro
Enthralling psychedelic rock on debut album from American duo, the Vacant Lots
The Vacant Lots are American duo, Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen. They got together in June 2009 and released their first single 'Confusion' in 2011, which was praised by Pitchfork. After that other members joined, but it didn't gel, so they stuck with what they knew worked and carried on as a two-piece. The band's lyrics are about the human condition and all that it throws at it, life and death, love and loss, dark and lightness, while musically they update the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, Suicide and Spacemen 3, whose Sonic Boom mixed and mastered the album. 'Departure' is an album that engages the listener and takes him or her away on an enjoyable voyage for the head and ears. 'Mad Mary Jones' is an abrasive, electro number with the edge of a raw Suicide, while Artaud's vocals sway in a 60's garage rock fashion. 'Never Satisfied' is like an understated Black Angels/Spacemen 3 number, and puts one into a trance-like state. 'Tomorrow' is both more fuzzed up and basic, mere guitar, drums and vocals, and absolutely perfect. 'Paint This City' edges in with doomy OMD-style keyboards, while the vocals drift on by in this slow burning and lazy Green On Red soundscape. 'Before the Evening's Through' is more bubbly, a psychedelic number that is reminiscent of Lou Reed or Jim Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain vocally. '6.A.M.' is feedback-infused, delivered wildly and slapping its listener hard. 'Make The Connection' clocks in at exactly ten minutes exactly and similar to the Velvet Underground's 'The Gift', making it time well spent. 'Do Not Leave Me Now' closes the album and is a perfect summer anthem of cool 1960's vibes. A fantastic album.
Track Listing:-
1 Mad Mary Jones2 Never Satisfied
3 Tomorrow
4 Paint This City
5 Before the Evening's Thru
6 6 AM
7 Make the Connection
8 Do Not Leave Me Now
Band Links:-
https://twitter.com/thevacantlotshttp://thevacantlots.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/VACANTLOTS
Label Links:-
http://www.soniccathedral.co.uk/https://www.facebook.com/soniccathedral.uk
https://twitter.com/soniccathedral
https://www.youtube.com/user/https%3A//www.youtube.com/soniccathedral
soundcloud
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart