VANT
Dumb Blood

Formed in 2014 by the frontman and songwriter Mattie Vant, VANT is a British quartet from London.

After a series of singles and EPs between 2015 and 2017, they too have reached the moment of their full-length debut with this much-anticipated "Dumb Blood" across the channel. Released through Parlophone and produced by Sam Miller, it was preceded by no less than seven singles and recorded in four different studios in the British capital.

While frontman Mattie's lyrics are primarily committed and often focus on politics and current events, the London quartet's sound is an energetic blend of nu-grunge and indie rock influences, often without pulling any punches. The guitars are almost always razor-sharp (there are very few quiet moments, including the single "Peace And Love"), at times almost brushing the boundaries of punk tout-court, as in the devastating "Parasite" and "Fly-By Alien."

If there is a criticism to be made, perhaps, it is the partial lack of originality and personality when the pace slows down: "Put Down Your Guns" would also be a nice track, but it seems like an outtake from Ash's "1977" period. Better, much better, when the sound thickens, as in "Lampoon," in the splendid crescendo of the initial grunge of "The Answer," or in the beautiful "Karma Seeker," a potential all-round hit.

The rare moments more oriented towards pop melody are also good, like the Green Day flavor of "Parking Lot" (not coincidentally chosen as the soundtrack for the trailer of a well-known video game) and the closing "Time & Money," something that might have come out of the latest Johnny Marr solo work.

There is also time for the epic seven minutes of "Are We Free?" and for the Pixies-like guitars of "Headed For The Sun."

A good debut from VANT, perhaps not very original but fresh and full of good ideas. We'll see how many promises the London boys will be able to keep in their future works:

Best track: Karma Seeker