Viet Cong

I’ve been completely enamored with this Calgary band ever since I heard their Cassette EP. Two guys, Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace, from the now defunct band Women got together with Scott Munro and Daniel Christiansen and formed this massive band that is equal parts post-punk jaggedness and mod pop angularity. It’s like Mission of Burma were melded with The Jam.

It’s an exhilarating listen. Whenever I’d listen to it I’d want to get lost in the world of Television, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, and the Talking Heads for the next 24 hours straight.

Well I soon found out after discovering their excellent EP that they in fact have their debut LP coming out via Jagjaguwar this month(the EP was reissued on vinyl in the summer of 2014 by the excellent folks at Mexican Summer.) First single “Continental Shelf” takes that initial bit of jangle post-punk and builds on it with some major gothic heaviness. Huge walls of guitar and murk fill the track until a lilting chorus comes in with mournful vocals and heavy reverb. It’s just about perfect. Second track “Silhouettes” is equally enthralling with new wave synths and a slight nod to Interpol(or Joy Division, take your pick.)

There’s definitely more of a darker sound with these new tracks, bringing Bauhaus, Joy Division, and Killing Joke to mind. That’s not to say these guys don’t have their own identity. What they seem to be creating on their self-titled debut is refreshing and unique. It’s an album I can’t wait to listen to in full, and one that is sure to be one of the best of 2015.

Viet Cong will be released on January 20, 2015 via Jagjaguwar and Flemish Eye Records.