Vast Robot Armies - Goodnight Myopia
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| Vast Robot Armies - Goodnight Myopia |
Seriously? More stuff from
Canada? What's going on over there? It's like a musical revolution. In the
snow. Vast Robot Armies is the studio name of one Jason Thomson and 'Goodnight
Myopia' is a collection of expansive indie tunes that combines alot of the things
I loved about the 90s with some more forward thinking. The End. Oh, what? You
want more? Sheesh. Well the album opens up with 'For What It's Worth', a pounding,
stomping indie tune that is soon overwhelmed by the sweeping, and Elbow-esque
delights of 'The Cost Of Doing Business'. The subdued beginnings of '6 Year
Vignettes' soon give way to a proper indie-pop slow dance, the kind Feeder used
specailise in back in the day. 'Old Hat' is where things start to get going
though as the urgency of the tubthumping and jittery, Jam-esque guitars bring
the album to life in a vibrant, essential style.
Apart from potentially being a
very rude anagram, 'Bullish One Hitters' is like a Duran Duran meets Gary Numan
song that's been created for a sparse, bleak Bond film that hasn't been made
yet. There's even some awesome use of pitch bend which there just isn't enough
of these days. 'Heads' is a fairly non-descript wash of indie guitars but 'Grey
Area Living' is a far more interesting affair with sinister, haunting pianos
being smashed in to a thousand tiny pieces by a scuzzy bass line and
in-yer-face drums and vocals that are delivered through teeth clenched in
frustration. 'We Go Where We Know' has an early U2 feel about it as the drums
and guitars jostle for position and attention on the record. Finishing up with
a tune called 'Epic' is always going to be a brave move but the brooding,
menacing mood builds and builds until a sense of frustration is released and dissipates
in to the cool, Canadian night air. And you know the best thing about this
album? It's free if you want it to be. Give it a listen first though, you might
just decide it's worth a few bucks.
More information: http://vastrobotarmies.bandcamp.com/album/goodnight-myopia