Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
Where The Messengers Meet

The Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, despite the name, would like to be taken seriously. The young quintet (the drummer is 15 years old) from Seattle directs its sound waves towards an audience that doesn't conform to norms.

In this second album, their art-rock has lost some of the exuberance associated with their self-titled 2009 debut to venture into more introspective and unsettling realms. The impression is that of facing an unfinished work. Not only does the group's personality fail to emerge in these 12 tracks, but even the best songs (while surprising the listener) fail to leave a mark. The result is a cold sound that neither wants nor manages to make an impact; and above all, despite some clever touches, the band's desire to sound original never truly comes across.
Since not all donuts come out with a hole, the judgment cannot be entirely negative, also because the young rockers tend to show their cards here and there. For example, in the strong opener “At Night,” a piece reminiscent of the compositions of the more acidic Cold War Kids, and “Leaving Trails,” which with its howls and sharp guitars reminds us of none other than Thom Yorke. This is followed by a series of more or less anonymous depressive tracks where the major influence is from Calla.

Towards the end, they redeem themselves with the restless “Walkmeniana” “In a Hole” and “Cadence”: a sad swing reminiscent of the early ...Trail Of Dead, touching the closing lullaby of “George Clark.”

While waiting for them to outgrow puberty, this band with the unpronounceable name deserves a listen.