Vundabar Release Stand-Out New Album 'Surgery and Pleasure'
Boston trio Vundabar has never been known for just one genre. Their sound has switched from alternative-rock to post-punk to indie-soft-rock, with other deviations. Their latest album, Surgery and Pleasure, takes on a new dance and electronic sound, accented with the intricate guitar sound that the band has become known for.
Composed of vocalist/guitarist Brandon Hagen, bassist Zach Abramo, and drummer Drew McDonald, Vundabar has become a prominent name in the alternative-rock scene in past years. The band went viral in 2021 when their song "Alien Blues" became popular on TikTok. This led to the song amassing over 600 million streams on Spotify and boosted the band into the limelight, allowing them to formally tour for their albums Gawk and Ether Light.
Surgery and Pleasure is a 40-minute-long album featuring 11 tracks, the longest track, "I Need You," being over six minutes long. The group released four singles in the months leading up to the album: "I Got Cracked," "Life is a Movie," "Spades," and "I Need You." "I Got Cracked" and "Life is a Movie" still stand out as the most catchy and alternative-rock-sounding of the album, with energetic repetitive choruses that Hagen screams into the microphone. The gritty vocal sound on the tracks almost reminds me of The Strokes' earlier albums, with the same rawness and realness behind each word.
Newer tracks carry a similar energy to the first three single releases, but I think that "Beta Fish" and "Let Me Bleed" stand out the most. The way that Hagen's voice comes down hard on the beats emphasizes the driving rhythms of the drums, which creates an intriguing and exciting listening experience overall. The low hum of the bass in "Beta Fish" creates a steady atmosphere, while the lyrics tell a metaphorical story of overcoming mental health after experiencing loss.
The album slows down with tracks like "I Need You" and "Feels Like Forever," which carry low-driving melodies but still finish off with Hagen's striking guitar solos and unique vocals. Everything nearly halts with the closing song, "Why Is It So Hard To Say Goodbye?" which is a stripped-down track with lyrics sung like spoken word. This final track ditches the classic guitar-driven melodies and isolates Hagen's words to the sound of one steady rhythm, which comes to end the album on a melancholy farewell.
Vundabar is currently co-headlining North America with alternative-indie artist Yot Club, which will then be followed by a solo-headliner in Europe. I have to add that from personal experience, their performance is 100% worth it, so make sure to snag some tickets before they sell out!
Tickets for the tour can be found on Vundabar's website, and other updates can be found on their Instagram, @vundabores.
