VELCROS – Strange News From the Vault
Release Date: 22nd March 2024
Label: Crazysane Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Indie Rock, Punk, Pop.
FFO: Tom Petty, The Replacements, Wipers, Hot Snakes, Buzzcocks.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
In the interest of changing things up, this month I decided I was in the mood to review something a bit more indie rock. When I began looking into Leipzig’s VELCROS, the name-dropping associated with the act pulled me in quickly. Pretty sure any band that draws upon influence from The Replacements, Guided By Voices, Wipers, and Buzzcocks is going to pique the interest of old heads who want to hear something that reminds us of the halcyon days of youth. But those comparisons are also going to lend themselves to some pretty big shoes to fill. So how does this album stack up? Let’s dive in and find out.
The opening track, Starting Now, kicks things off well with super catchy hooks, pop sensibility, and fuzzy layers. I can definitely hear the influence of some of the above-mentioned acts. From there, the songs get into more of a frenzied pace, energetic and jolting. Now I get the Wipers reference. Even with a bit more of a punk vibe, it is clear that VELCROS want to keep some level of melody and have enough of a raw edge to give this album grit, but never setting foot too far into that dynamic. They aren’t going to give up some of the brighter elements to their sound, and it is going to be appealing to a lot of folks who appreciated the garage rock revival of the early 00s with bands such as The Strokes. And I think this is where I started to lose a bit of interest which was incredibly disappointing. There is a level of similarity between many of the tracks that makes this work somewhat redundant. Perhaps some shifting of guitar tone would have broken things up a bit, but I can also see how it might detract from the overall sound the band seem to be going for. A gem in the midst of Strange News From the Vault is the song Fading Too which goes into a completely different direction than the rest of the album with a sound that is reminiscent of Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine. It doesn’t fit, but it does give a break from the rest of the work and allows some breathing room.
My personal opinion aside: there is a great deal of strong musicianship throughout this record and generally good song writing. It definitely has a sound that will appeal to a lot of people and surely will put them on the map. It just wasn’t quite for me; however, it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate what VELCROS are trying to achieve with this work. For my indie rock and lo-fi people: give it a listen and make up your own mind. 
(3.5 / 5)
