I Don’t Mind -After over a decade of radio silence, the Vascoe Era are back with new LP
After over a decade of radio silence, Naarm/Melbourne and Wadawurrung/Surf Coast rock band The Vasco Era are back with blistering new record I Don’t Mind.
The Vascoe Era comprise of members Sid O’Neil, Ted O’Neil and Michael Fitzgerald. Originally from Apollo Bay, the band has been active since 2004. After a long hiatus, the trio are back with a vengeance.
Kicking off the record is I Don’t Need A Warning - a track with a Sabbath Iron Man-esque solitary kick drum. A massive intro, the song is a heavy re-introduction to the band’s off kilter blend of hard rock.
Single Everybody’s Talking About It brings in a menacing descending riff along with out-there vocals to build an insane vibe, while It Wasn’t Supposed To Be Like This is a whole different flavour of paranoia. Fuzzy rhythms carry ranting vocals reflecting the capitalist hell hole of today.
Rumbling into the deep recesses of your mind comes In Another Place, sounding like Tiny Tim pounding on the walls of an asylum, while title track I Don’t Mind closes the first side of the record delivering some mild catharsis for listeners on the edge of madness.
Cracking open side two is 6/8 freak out Silver Bird - a concoction of brilliant contradictions. Completely mad choruses highlight the totally out there sound of the band.
Some respite from the madness comes in a few softer tracks on side two including You Were Going To Look. Gentle strings paint a soft backdrop for clean electric guitar and vocals, making for a beautiful moment of delicacy, a classic album deep cut.
Single Away is a dreamscape of pads and arpeggiated synths, a magnificent blend of beautiful noise.
Penultimate track You And Only You continues side two’s more intimate mood of softer balladry, while finale All This Time I’ve Been Waiting takes listeners back to the fuzzed out madness.
Overall a contrasting yet great record - the rockers are heavy and freaky, while the softer album cuts are intimate while still maintaining the out-there weird character the band loves to bring.
Make sure to give the album a listen here, and find tickets to their album launch on October 11 here.