"Rocky IV Reckyrd"
(Richter Collective)
six / ten
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THE VINNY CLUB "Rocky IV Reckyrd" (Richter Collective) six / ten |
With Rocky IV Reckyrd, The Vinny Club has shattered the sometimes cliched electro/dance market with something new, innovative and enjoyable. A one man project from - you guessed it - Vinny, bassist in cult Irish post/math rock band Adebisi Shank, The Vinny Club is a definite side step from Adebisi where Vinny can voice his own humour, passion for video games and obsession with Sylvester Stallone's 'Rocky'.
The album's opening track 'It's Not You It's OF' is the perfect way to kick off proceedings as the phrase "Nineteen Eighty Three" echoes past the listener before fading away and being replaced by a crashing, thunderous beat followed soon after by rhythmic and funky bass lines and synth pop soundings. There is no mistake that this song belongs in the '80s but aren't we lucky we have it instead?
'Armand Assante' departs from the funky basslines and is replaced with computer chip sounds that repeat time and again, fluctuating at different speeds and even at one point made me get up to check to see if my stereo had skipped only to feel embarrassed when the song carried as soon as I left my seat.
However' the highlight is 'Duke (Throw the Damn Towel)', which is a mixture of both 80's synth-pop and hair metal, when a face melting guitar solo is played over a thunderous rhythm section that is reminiscent of the opening credits of 'Miami Vice'.
The entire record seems to be Vinny's own personal joke as the song titles, artwork and the name poke fun of both the 'Rocky' and 'Commodore 64' franchises. Track titles such as 'Whatever He Hits He Destroys', 'Duke (Throw the Damn Towel)', and 'Everybody Can Change' are all direct quotes lifted from 'Rocky IV'.
Overall the Rocky IV Reckyrd is fun and energetic and is a unique approach on the fatigued electro genre but one cannot escape the fact that although fun, The Vinny Club is just one man recreating the music from his favourite video games, and over the length of the album the funky bass lines and the chip tune sounding bleeps do become tiresome and repetitive.
Aaron Duff
www.myspace.com/thevinnyclub
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