After listening to The Dark Tower-inspired Vexations by Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s I Was Totally Destroying It, I really wished I had read the Stephen King novels so I could enjoy this album even more than I already do. Don’t worry, though, it’s “loosely inspired” so if you haven’t read them either you’ll be fine. With three full-lengths and two EP’s already under their belt, IWTDI already have a substantial catalog and enough music out there that you should already know who they are. If you don’t, then Vexations is the one that will make you pay attention.
Billed as “5-piece power-pop band”, I Was Totally Destroying It is anything but. Oh, they’re catchy all right but to call them simply “power-pop” is a disservice. If you just listen to opener “Vexations” or “Follow You”, the airy stylings of Lush are apparent especially with Rachel Hirsh’s dreamy vocals. “Hello, Salty Ghost” changes the mood with the driving rhythms propelled by John Booker’s voice and guitar work and, at times, has a slight country feel to it in the chorus. Speaking of driving, nothing moves quite like “Move So Slowly” which evokes old school Fleetwood Mac.
Booker and Hirsh continually bring different colors and moods to “Save Your Life” and “Blood On Film” with their different vocal styles. Elsewhere, songs like “Dust Up/New Perpetuum Mobile” have this dark pop mentality which makes Vexations one of the most interesting and worthwhile albums of 2012.
Vexations is available now. Get yours here and check I Was Totally Destroying It’s official site so you can see where you can catch them out on tour this fall with Motion City Soundtrack.
Grade: A