Vendetta Red is not a name I had heard before last week. It turns out that Quinceañera is their first full length album since 2005, which made me feel a bit better for never having heard of them. When they were last making waves, I was too caught up in the joys of a carefree childhood to pay attention to the music scene of the time! The group originate from Seattle, Washington, which brings bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains to mind (to name but a few) so Vendetta Red are in good company. The unfortunate part about a city having strong associations with certain bands is that you then expect other bands to sound like that, and so already have preconceptions before listening. Any such preconceptions made about Quinceañera were certainly misplaced. But then again, seeing as the album title is the Spanish word for a coming of age celebration for a teenage girl (yes, I did have to look that up) it seems more obvious that this is not a standard rock album.
Upon first listen, describing the album as ‘alternative rock’ is not sufficient to encompass all the styles included on this album. Opening track, Swim, fits the bill well enough. After a brief electronic introduction, the expected distorted guitars play a rhythmic accompaniment to a distant and ethereal vocal track. It is on the second track, Wild & Dangerous, that Vendetta Red throw the first curve ball. The song launches straight in with a very upbeat and cheerful chorus backed by an almost shimmering guitar sound. It makes for a slightly quirky take on 90s pop rock. The Dreamers is similar, featuring a more straightforward pop-rock riff before another infectious chorus. However, it is somewhat annoyingly infectious as I don’t particularly like the switch to falsetto style singing partway through, but the melody is still catchy. Catchy is not a very technical term, but it is the best description for this track as the chorus does indeed try to catch you. The use of the stuttering guitar sound to lead into the final chorus is also a touch of simple genius. These leanings into pop territory occur repeatedly throughout the album on songs like Encantado (more falsetto singing), The Unending War (the put-your-lighter-up-and-sway song) and Til You Have Forgiven Me (sounds like The Smiths). But none of these songs sound the same and all use slightly different styles of instrumentation, with the guitars and keyboards/synths sharing prominence across the tracks.
If you’ve read this far you would be forgiven for thinking that Vendetta Red have completely abandoned the heavier alternative sound for this new release, but, shoehorned in between all the sparkly guitar effects and pop sensibilities are a couple of tracks that took me completely by surprise. Where There’s a Will, There’s a Pinche Guey has a darker, offbeat riff that continues throughout the verse before the chorus hits with full on harsh/screamed vocals. This makes it sound rather forced and out of place compared to what had come previously. A much better attempt is No Way Out: two minutes of straight up melodic punk. This song sounded a lot more natural and the vocals jumped smoothly between singing and shouting styles over the top of some simple rhythmic guitar work. I have already mentioned that none of the songs on this album sound the same, but even with the range of stylings on offer these two tracks stand out as the only heavier songs.
Quinceañera is quite a bizarre album: not because the sound is very extreme or unusual, but simply because of the range of styles it draws from. There is everything from the more straightforward pop and punk influences, to alternative rock and even some more progressive and experimental sound effects. There a cheerful and cheesy moments, dark and morbid moments, and even what sounds like the soundtrack to a bad sci-fi programme in Deceiver. This means that the album keeps things interesting and never runs the risk of repeating itself. However, it does also mean that as a complete piece of work it doesn’t sound very cohesive. Then again, in the age of streaming and short attention spans is that even an issue? A question for another article I think. Despite a few questionable moments, Vendetta Red have written an album on which most people will find at least one song they like, regardless of their musical leanings.
Highlights: Dreamers, West of Birmingham and No Way Out
Quinceañera is out now via Cleopatra Records and you can purchase it here.
You can find Vendetta Red on Facebook, Twitter and on their website.
