A near two decade old electric rock duo, The Vanities are every bit as excited and eager to break boundaries as they would have been when they started. Their latest album, named after the year of birth of their own act, combines elements of the sounds they grew up on with the sounds now being ushered in to create an explosive Molotov cocktail of influences that burns bright and burns long. The record delves into themes of madness, war, morality, love and is out exclusively on Bandcamp.
There’s a groove to this record reminiscent of more classic rock n roll records from the 1970s or earlier. Their usage of jazz instrumentation on the opening piece, ‘Dropping a Bomb’ is a particular highlight. That sparkle crackles with imagination, readily deploying a multitude of influences into one crowded palette that manages to let each colour shine through with resonating resplendence. ‘2001’ doesn’t spare a single moment for levity or minimalism, it is quite a full blooded album that has maximal tendencies through and through. There’s a desire throughout the record from The Vanities to be as extravagant as liberating as possible with their experimentation. Combining gritty grunge with a host of synth elements and even sprinkles of Jazz, you’re left with a record that completely envelopes you from start to finish. The’You’re talking you just don’t love me baby’ moment in the chorus of the opener is simply too exciting not to groove out to.
2001 is a whole lot of things, but it is still at core a very classical rock n roll influenced record. It draws from various high points of the rather all encompassing genre, bringing the palatial positivity of 80s synths to the grim and depressive sounds of grunge while still jolting you with infusions of electro-pop throughout.