Vroom is a difficult band to pigeonhole into any specific genre. One can easily state that their music resides somewhere in the broad land of alternative music and be true in that statement, but that certainly does not explain much. Vroom is rock and roll at heart, yet in a way that no other rock band has ever been. One could throw out words like emo, punk, and rock to describe the band's last full-length Throws Like a Girl and somewhere within those descriptions come close to being correct. Now, however, with this limited release EP A Five Song Demonstration (available only through the band's web page, even though the band is officially on Decapolis Records), Vroom has suddenly become impossible to define and yet better than ever.
With only five songs, one wouldn't expect a band to be able to prove too much. However, Vroom accomplishes more with this small EP than most bands do with a full-length. The secret is that each song is great in its own right. Though I loved the band's last full-length, this EP serves as a better demonstration that the band's first goal is to craft a great song. Their second goal is to enjoy the rock and roll. With these two priorities in the correct order, the music can do nothing but succeed.
The theme of A Five Song Demonstration is not an unfamiliar one. Vroom takes a look at love (or the lack thereof) from several perspectives. The opening song "The Human Machine" sets up the album: "Do rock and roll dreams come true? I'll share the tale with you." The song goes on to explore the theme of guy/girl attraction: "You're so beautiful tonight/ You could be my only sunshine, but you don't care for guys." The next track "He Seems Like a Nice Guy" is the most honest relationship song that I've heard in a long time as the writer tackles the difficulty of another guy coming along. He concludes optimistically, "So we don't have everything, but I've got you and you've got me." Still, I can't help but feel that the other guy got the girl. "Bored with Overindulgence, Poverty Became Fashionable" is unique not only musically, but also lyrically with its sarcastic look at fashion. The following "Soundtrack Song" shocked me when I first heard it. What is a slow, love ballad doing on this album? I'm still not exactly sure why it's here, but I can't get over how beautiful it is and as a result find myself singing it and listening to it incessantly. The album ends appropriately with the tongue-in-cheek "I Love You (You Can't Stand Me)," which seems like a commentary about pointless teen dating.
In less than half an hour, the damage was done. I was hooked and I dare say that if you try Vroom's new EP on for size, you will be too.
4.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis July 2002Reviewed by Matt ModrichA long time ago Vroom was punk rock, then they were indie rock and now they're just rock. Since they started, the four guys from Virginia have been one of the most promising bands in the indie scene, yet for some reason they remain unsigned. "A Five Song Demonstration" starts out just where "Throws Like a Girl" left off with lead guitar hooks and catchy vocal melodies. The first song "The Human…Similar sounding releases
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