 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
www.churchonthursday.com
The Vandals
Look What I Almost Stepped In
Nitro Records
2000
I haven't paid much attention to The Vandals since
I was a smart-assed little bastard with a
Variflex skateboard. I would remain locked in my room for hours listening
to the classic purveyors of the 80's So Cal sound--D.I., The Dickies,
Doggy Style, Agent Orange, Aggression, Adolescents and the Angry Samoans (not
to mention The Vandals).
By the time I'd grinded the tailplate off of my Variflex, however, I had lost almost all interest in skating, The Vandals, and the rest of their So Cal cohorts. It was a good thing, too--each one of the aforementioned bands entered into a period of suck that lasted throughout the remainder of Reagan's second term in office.
I've heard good things about The Vandals for the past few years, but I could never bring myself to pursue procuring any of their newer material--not after having been so disgustingly disappointed by When In Rome... and Slippery When Ill. But since this CD was literally handed to me, I felt that I had to afford them at least one more chance for all of the hours I spent in self-confinement throwing darts from point-blank range at pictures of Reagan's head while listening to "The Legend of Pat Brown".
I'm glad that I did. Look What I Almost Stepped In sounds almost nothing like The Vandals I remember--the good or the bad. That's probably because they have only like one original member, but for once that doesn't perturb me. This incarnation of The Vandals is the best I've heard yet.
Singer Dave Quackenbush conjures up immediate comparisons to Brian Wilson (the Beach Boys, duh!) and what's-his-name from the Angry Samoans, which helps them stay true to their skater/surfer dude roots. Though they've matured considerably--both musically and in age--they remain as amorally adolescent as always, which is amusing at best and sophomoric (but still kind of amusing) at worst. Even though my age and intellect condemn me for it, I can't help loving this.
--Felix
Thursday