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The Vandelles are rock n’ roll noir at its finest. Their songs are the perfect soundtrack to rain-slicked city streets at night, and the lust, betrayal and violence that filters through them. The band thrives on layers of fuzz and a wall of reverb-laden guitar noise, and they also harbor a penchant for 60s garage pop melody and surf rock riffs. Those expecting the Vandelles to sound like their Brooklyn contemporaries Vivian Girls or Crystal Stilts would be wrong—they channel a dirtier, scuzzier aesthetic more on par with the Cramps, Suicide, X, or even Link Wray. On the new release, Del Black Aloha, songs like “Lovely Weather” and “Dash N’ Dive” find the band’s ragged riffs, crooned vocals and crushing, dread-inducing pedal manipulations forming a perfectly sinister sound that both terrifies and transfixes the listener. Definitely not recommended for those who suffer from anxiety, late-night panic attacks, or criminal thoughts. - Bill Dvorak |
