VANISHING KIDS
VANISHING KIDS “Miracle Of Death”
By Theron Moore
Madison Wisconsin’s VANISHING KIDS are set to release their newest record, “Miracle Of Death”, October 13 via Aural Music. If you’re not familiar with VANISHING KIDS you need to be. From song writing and lyrical craftsmanship to the high caliber musicians behind the music, VK is at the top of their game. “Miracle Of Death” is a stunner.
I don’t make this statement lightly but this album might very well be the best record of its kind. It’d be easy to fall in line with other critics and label it as shoegaze-psych but that’s pigeon holing “Miracle Of Death” into a single genre, a disservice to both band and fans alike. The reality is, it shouldn’t be labeled. True, it has a rock foundation but VANISHING KIDS’ sound is a machine with a hundred different moving parts, each singular and unique unto itself.
Here’s an example of what I mean. There’s a stream of consciousness flow to the album which makes it feel as if “Miracle Of Death” is one extended song or musical arrangement comprised of seven movements (or tracks). Track one, “Spill The Dark,” builds into track two, “Only You,” which sets the stage for track three and so on and so forth. The end result is, the seven tracks create a larger, defined entity which becomes “Miracle Of Death”.
Another “moving part” pertains to how the band plays in and out of each other with no single person dominant. Nick Johnson’s drumming fades into a classic, Hammond organ sound, allowing Nikki Drohomyreky’s astral voice to spotlight Jason Hartman’s guitar work, in turn showcasing the heavy bass lines of Jerry Sofran. It all works, it all flows, and it’s organic, without effort creating layer upon layer of texture, mood, and atmosphere.
“Miracle Of Death” is a wonderful exercise in heavy psych and dreamtime shoegaze meeting pure rock riffage, and that’s trademark VANISHING KIDS. There’s hints of sadness and loss ( “Demon Glove”), echoes of PINK FLOYD and STEVE MILLER (“LKN”), even a little ST. VITUS meets DEEP PURPLE with “Midnight Child.”
Unless I haven’t been clear, “Miracle Of Death” is a must buy and in the running for best record of the year. It’s a blueprint for greatness and a master class in rock N roll musicianship. The creativity and execution of “Miracle Of Death” is simply amazing.
5/5 Stars