Canadian alternative rock quad Vibrant Heels recently got in touch so we gave their new album a listen and did a little research on them. They are a DIY independent band from Quebec City with guitarist Alex Bussières keeping busy currently doing the promoting and booking.
To give you a bit of a sense of what they’re about I’m going to lift their bio from their Facebook page and website as it’s worth a read:
We’re the ones who just don’t fit in, like that gigantic lonely mole on your beautiful face. We blend catchiness, heaviness & groovy rhythms all at the same time. In the end we all wish we could be as cool as you are, but we’re just four regular guys freezing our asses off in Canada.
I gave Driven a listen and can wholeheartedly agree that they blend catchiness, heaviness and groovy rhythms all at the same time. Singer Jordan Jolicoeur’s vocals are really varied and exhibit elements of punk, funk, metal and indie.
The recording has a raw edge which suits their style and gives you the impression that they have not sat in a studio doing take after take until perfect, but have tried to capture a more ‘live’ feel despite plenty of samples and layers being involved. It gives the album a freshness and energy that can sometimes be missing from a more clinical approach.
Vocals on lead single “Soak it Up” start with a big nod to 90s indie bands and provide a mellow, trippy accompaniment to the heavy but melodic guitars. It soon turns into a darker affair with some growled lyrics. This also happens on quite a few tracks like title track “Vibrant Heels” and “Trick It”. A highlight for me was foot-tapping and head-bobbing “Sun Goddess” which takes us on funk-filled grunge trip topped off with another dose of Korn-tastic growling.
The album parades a very interesting fusion of many a genre but instead of just a mish-mash the quartet have carved themselves a unique corner in the alternative rock world.
Their debut LP Driven comes out on February 10th and in the meantime is available to listen to on Bandcamp.
