Singles

Vanlustbader - Here We Go Again

Chris Helsby 31/10/2005

Rating: 2/5

Vanlustbader are from Brisbane, Australia, but are currently sharing bunk beds in a one bedroom flat in south London. They've had radio play on major stations in their home country and, strangely, an airing during the FA Charity Shield final in Britain.

This is their first proper single in the UK, but they've already sold around five thousand copies of a self-made EP back in Australia. They've been picked up by some bigtime producer who's worked with Placebo, Ladytron and DJ Shadow.

In the press release they mention Jet and The Pixies and, yeah, this single does sound like them, but there's also something about it that made me think of the Dandy Warhols. Big fuzzy alt-rock guitars with knackered old synths playing chirpy melodies over them and a big load of swagger and confidence.

The songs don't match anything quite as catchy as the Dandy Warhols can manage, but the tunes are cool enough. This isn't some massive, anthemic single and it doesn't sound like the sort of thing that would get played at the opening of a football match (but weirder things have happened). It's a great idea without a great tune to back it up, but that doesn't mean that Vanlustbader can't write one in the future.