Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band – Where the Messengers Meet

Album Review by Chris Buckle | 26 Jul 2010
Album title: Where the Messengers Meet
Artist: Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
Label: Dead Oceans
Release date: 2 Aug

A cavalier attitude to song structure, awkward pop melodies and a lead singer pitching his chords with theatrical verve: take a number, guys – half of North America got there first. Their second album improves on a decent debut, but it won’t usurp their forebearers; while it sounds vaguely like the kind of project Spencer Krug could be involved in, it would prompt concerns the lad was spreading himself too thin if he was.

Though not without ideas of their own, the Seattle five-piece spend too long tugging on the sleeves of pantheon-members like Arcade Fire and Modest Mouse to fulfil their potential. Letting the guitar sit exposed in the mix gives them a degree of differentiation, with the Dead Weather riff of At Night rattling away robustly and Hurrah stomping along nicely. But its consistent tones can grow tiresome, and their general lack of vision fundamentally undermines their talent. [Chris Buckle]

 

http://www.myspace.com/mtsthelensvietnamband