The Vrbs Release A Fresh One
The Vrbs is the latest release by the contemporary rock band of the same name. And while there’s a modern, polished tinge to this release, what I love about this band is that there’s a raw grittiness to their sound - something that’s missing in a lot of mainstream music, rock or otherwise. On the opening track, “Take Me Home,” Jeff Hams’ booming drums and Jared Richards’ distorted power chords blare through my speakers, accompanied by Richard’s’ electrifying, enigmatic vocals. It’s an absolutely scorching rock intro. There are some fantastic lead guitar solos on this song.
On “Say Hello,” Paul Congolani really stole the show with a warm, funky bass groove. It added depth to this punky, punchy rock number — though Richards did really step things up vocally from the opener. His “say hello” refrain in the choruses was so melodically powerful and superbly performed. I didn’t think he could step things up energy-wise from the intro. And the rock vibes only strengthen on “New Drug.” It’s Hams’ time to shine on this tune. Absolutely addicted to the rhythmic, booming beat on this one. It’s the kind of track that I know would make waves in a live environment.
“Run” is an intriguing change of pace. Love the flanger-heavy guitar chords, twanging endlessly atop gentle percussion and a gliding bass line. There’s also a very western-infused lead guitar line atop it. This dark blues track features Richards’ deep, evocative vocals and punchy, distorted, chaotic choruses to switch up the dynamic at the right intervals. It’s a nice aesthetic shift that demonstrates this band’s versatility. The same can be said of the closer, driven by a warm, clean electric guitar progression, a soft bass groove and understated drums. Richards’ tender vocals really deliver his emotion perfectly on this one. A well-executed outro on a well-executed album — excited to see what this band does next.