It's been a long, long time since Tom Vek exploded on the scene and much like Digitalism; Vek has had to fight against prevailing trends to stay current. Originally, like a lo-fi version of Calvin Harris, Mr. Vek was creating disco punk jams that could move mountains and dance floors as if it were second nature. Several years since that debut, he's still able to do it and his latest album, Leisure Seizure, shows no signs of letting up.
A tad more angular and odd than his debut, Leisure Seizure, is still able to move mountains but goes about it from a series of right angles rather than a direct approach. Leisure Seizure is a great record that proves not only that Vek can still write a great song but also that he can adapt to the times even if he goes about it the "wrong way." Featuring lots of songs that almost seem broken, Vek constantly challenges himself and you to find a groove where it shouldn't be. With beats that bounce along oddly, dark repetitive synths that plod along, and his characteristic accent Vek leads you down all sorts of roads in hopes that you find the grooves. His songs might not be the catchiest things on the planet, but their bizarre time signatures and off center rhythms have a way of wearing you down and winning you over.
Leisure Seizure isn't dance music per se; it's just a bit too angular and punky for such a description. Instead, the album is exactly what it says it is...a series of creatively quirky seizures that may provide some degree of happiness. Awkward and challenging, but still dancey, Leisure Seizure is what would happen if Justice and Nine Inch Nails hung out with the Talking Heads in a recording studio and got wasted.
No comments:
Post a Comment