V CARD There's You 1997

 

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There's You Review

by Peter J. D'Angelo

Massachusetts post-punkers V.Card play a poppy hybrid of sounds that borrows heavily from early-'90s upbeat punk rock. They've got the loud ringing basslines and rapid fire drums of all their punk peers, but their vocals are a bit more interesting, especially from a time when not everyone was trying to sound like Hot Water Music. Throaty, screamed lyrics interact with pop-punk-styled, catchy refrains, and while the band isn't the most interesting commodity on the market, they have a commanding grasp on the style that makes for memorable songs that revel in their own simplicity. Sure there isn't that much on here to break ground with, and most of the songs hearken back to a handful of early punk bands, but the presentation is honest and straightforward enough to make the record rock. There's You preceded the overwhelming explosion of melodic rock and emo bands in the indie underground by a year or so, but the songs on here could certainly make it into any non-discriminating heartbroken music fan's stereo today. For a band that never really broke big, there's a ridiculous amount of promise on this disc, and it is almost a shame that it didn't make it to a wider audience. There was indeed a time when music like this had not been corrupted by too many groups who sound exactly the same, and V.Card makes a fine case for their place in the music's forgotten history. 

 

Tracklist

1		Five Days
2		Steal Wheels
3		Montel
4		Funnel
5		Weakest Link
6		Penniless
7		There's You
8		College Boy
9		Map
10		Calibrate
11		Dreaming