Philadelphia two-piece Vicky Speedboat make a strong first impression on their debut EP Two Years No Basement, balancing moments of gritty punk with earnest and heartfelt hooks over the dense six-song set. Although it's not terribly engaging from the very start, it gains considerable momentum as it plays out.
"Philadelphia Contact High" and "Roman Candle Fires" could stand to be shorter songs, as they're stripped down and aggressive, but don't change very much at all over the course of the entire song, and their cyclical nature ultimately grows tiresome.
However, "Passing Through Wales" and "Dave's Bed" take interesting rhythmic detours and have much stickier, punchier choruses, the former incorporating more prominent guitar lead lines and a solo and the latter employing harmonics and feedback as dissonant breaks between melodic chords. "Weathering Bell" is a powerful conclusion to the set, with its interesting and atypical verse progression highlighted by the stalwart vocals of both Sean Huber and Will Lindsay.
Two Years No Basement is a diverse package that showcases Vicky Speedboat's strengths, so though while it's not perfect, it's indicative of the band's potential to expand their sound even further.
(Independent)"Philadelphia Contact High" and "Roman Candle Fires" could stand to be shorter songs, as they're stripped down and aggressive, but don't change very much at all over the course of the entire song, and their cyclical nature ultimately grows tiresome.
However, "Passing Through Wales" and "Dave's Bed" take interesting rhythmic detours and have much stickier, punchier choruses, the former incorporating more prominent guitar lead lines and a solo and the latter employing harmonics and feedback as dissonant breaks between melodic chords. "Weathering Bell" is a powerful conclusion to the set, with its interesting and atypical verse progression highlighted by the stalwart vocals of both Sean Huber and Will Lindsay.
Two Years No Basement is a diverse package that showcases Vicky Speedboat's strengths, so though while it's not perfect, it's indicative of the band's potential to expand their sound even further.
