Vices, a young 5-piece from London, have recently released their latest record in the shape of an EP titled ‘Hotel Monsoon’. Having supported the likes of Everything Everything and Band Of Skulls, as well as a well recieved debut EP produced by Jeff Saltzman, Vices could be on the cusp of something. Quite what that something is may well be explained after a good old listen of their newest offering.
‘Dying Day’ starts us off, a quirky track which has plenty of groove and layers of interesting guitars over which the vocalist shows off his rather varied range which works well to keep interest high and excitement building. Onto ‘Airports’ the tempo is slowed down giving the vocals even more space to show off the increasingly assertiveness, with the music behind taking on forms of jazz and funk rock to great effect. What is striking is that Vices are clearly confident in their own ideas, not afraid to slow things down, turn them up, and slow them down again multiple times, all in the space of a track; which allows their songs to breath and grow with each listen.
‘Deep Rivers Run’ carries on in a similar vein, albeit with a glorious wailing guitar throughout. ‘Human Being’ sounds somewhat like the early output of The Horrors, with the ghostly electronic elements doing much to further this claim. However this early comparison cannot fully justify the song, as there are further introductions of saxophone, as well as slightly more comprehendible vocals to that of Faris Badwan. The EP finishes with ‘Hotel Monsoon (Go Up To Go Down)’, which is a wonderfully expansive song that not only hints of greater potential for this band but also really caps off a fine body of work. Just imagine a combination of Pink Floyd, Friendly Fires, Girls, and the aforementioned The Horrors, and you might have some idea of this grandiose song.
Vices are currently on tour throughout 2012, you can check their facebook for more information. And you can stream and download the excellent ‘Hotel Monsoon’ EP from their bandcamp page now. // VICES
