Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band - Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

The most immediate thing about this record is a frolicking yelp, somewhere between Steve Bays and Tim Harrington - high, stabbing vocals which are quite inappropriate for tender moments. Taking cues from much of the recent danceable guitar pop groups, an impatience about their songs means that the Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band quickly run out of good ideas, often resorting to weedy Thin Lizzy parodies and garage-punk poses. The momentum and intensity barely allow for respite; constantly shifting layers of scratchy guitars scribble in circles and nippy drums change tack more often than Ross Noble's stand-up. Yet despite this persistent, pulling movement, songs begin to sound overly similar as the track counter ratchets up, and, inevitably, attention wavers, despite the group's best efforts. Only when they pace themselves and pause for breath are we pulled back in; these moments are few and far between [Jamie Scott]