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At first look, Vendetta Valentine could be hucked in the same
protest rock bin that so many other failed bands have found themselves
in, where most eventually realize that music with a message matters
little if the music itself is unlistenable and the message as subtle
as a frying pan. But a different tact has been taken here; new wave
mixes with bubblegum pop, and lyrics that focus on desperate lovers
in a near-future totalitarian society create visuals that flesh out
a world gone wrong (that may or may not be a parable of our own).
The protagonists from the songs have the desperate, lust-filled moments
of reprieve while fleeing from the ever-seeing eye of an omnipotent
Big Brother, occasionally going down in a hail of bullets when everything
finally catches up to them. The band counts George Orwell's
1984 among their influences and one can feel the presence of
a So Cal version of Winston Smith, weaving in and out of songs
on his skateboard, as he fights an unsuccessful battle against authority.
And that's why this album is successful: the message isn't spelled
out in the way that Jello Biafra crams his George-Bush-is-bad
message down the throat of anyone who will listen. Through illustration
and allegory, people will be able to ken the message without the band
having to hammer their beliefs into irrelevance. By interleaving the
ideas and ideals of the lyrics with lively, well-constructed music
that combines indie, pop and new-wave, Vendetta Valentine have ensured
that their music will be catchy and appealing. They've also avoided
another pitfall known to turn potential listeners off: a message so
preachy that it becomes overwhelmed with the smugness of if-you-don't-think-like-us-you're-an-idiot
elitism. Most people don't like being told they're a moron for voting
for so and so, or supporting one viewpoint over another, and elitist
exclusionism on either side of the fence is merely another, yet far
subtler, form of the tyranny depicted by O'Brien's image of
"a boot stomping on a human face, forever."
Politics aside, the final leg propping up the pedestal I'm placing
this band on is that every song is radio-worthy. This is no 3 Doors
Down, Days Of The New, or Guano Apes, where one
track is worth listening to, and the rest is overrated trash. The
album starts off pretty light-hearted, and ends up more System
Of A Down than B-52's by the time the final track rolls
around, but the mood is more sobering than somber. It makes you think
about what's under the veneer of daily life, but doesn't force you
to dwell too long on it.
-JD
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