Vasco Era, The - Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside (Album)
» The Vasco Era & Papa Vs Pretty Tour - September 21, 2011
» The Vasco Era - Karova Lounge, VIC - December 18, 2010
» The Vasco Era - GPO, QLD - December 3, 2010
» The Vasco Era - Blues and Rocks by the Seaside - May 1, 2007
» When We All Lost It, The Vasco Era brought it on back - November 6, 2006
» The Vasco Era - Edinburgh Castle Hotel, SA - December 16, 2010
» The Vasco Era - Annandale Hotel, The, NSW - November 20, 2010
Throw your hands in the air, rock fans! The long awaited debut album from The Vasco Era, Oh We Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside, is finally out and it’s a fucking ripper!
The Vasco Era is that hard-rocking bluesy outfit from the coastal town of Apollo Bay in Victoria. They’ve been on the scene for a few years now, touring a lot on the back of their Miles EP and some serious radio support from Triple J. Fronted by Sid O‘Neil, with his brother Ted on bass and Michael Fitzgerald on drums, this trio has this amazing growling energy when you see them live, which they have successfully managed to capture in this recording. Of course, nothing canned can quite live up the force of their live show, but this album has made a few of my skeptical friends finally get why I always go to see them when I get a chance.
Recorded in San Francisco with producer Jeff Saltzman, a lot of time has been spent fine-tuning this one, fortunately without drowning the raw power of the band when they just let loose. Sid rips his fabulously versatile voice to shreds over and over while keeping a tuneful melody, all three tearing up these explosive, expressive, howling fast blues jams. They blast out one of the best stomping beats you’re going to find in rock today, with real throw-yourself-around rhythms.
I was a bit worried when I heard this was going to be a concept album. Luckily, they don’t beat you about the head with the concept, which is a simple theme of growing up in, and coming out of Apollo Bay. It merely serves to tie the songs into a subtle story throughout the tracks.
And what great tracks they are. Tight, yet with a rambling feel, even the ballads like ‘When We Tried To Party To Forget About It’ vibrate with barely restrained power, underscored with some haunting guitar licks. If your head (at least) doesn’t move to ‘When It First Showed Up’ and ‘When We Forgot To Ask Ourselves Why It Ever Came’, then you are made of stone. Not to mention the rest of it. Really, the only thing missing from this debut is the clear, gentle soul of ‘Turn To Blue’, from the Miles EP. Which would feel a little out of place at this party anyway.
All I hoped and more. For a while now, their live act has had people proclaiming them to be one of Australia’s best blues rock bands of recent years. This album has just confirmed it.
