Album Review

Vincent Vincent and the Villains – Gospel Bombs

• 3rd Mar 2008

The first time I saw Vincent Vincent and the Villains was at the Ben and Jerry’s music festival in July 2006. I predicted big things for them then, as they warmed up the crowd for The Wonder Stuff, and nearly two years down the line we are treated with an album that justifies the long wait.

Unfortunately the live favourite Johnny Two Bands is nowhere to be seen, but that is the only real disappointment on an album which juxtaposes toe-tapplingly brilliant ska with atmospheric pop, located somewhere between The Clash’s Sandinista and The Rumble Strips’ Girls and Weather.

Stand-out tracks include recent single On My Own and the lyrically perfect Sins of Love (Wah Do), both of which make brilliant use of enigmatic frontman Vincent Vincent’s unique vocals and the band’s impeccable ear for a tune. Indeed there are several tracks on this album which you could see yourself singing and dancing to on any occasion.

The ‘slower’ songs on the album are on the whole less successful, closing couplet Telephone and End of the Night leaving a little to be desired. However the classy, noirish single Cinema possesses an enthralling cinematic scope worthy of its title. Thankfully, though, it is located in the middle of the album, flanked by two wonderfully uplifting slices of ska-pop: it seems wrong not to be grinning shamelessly while listening to Vincent Vincent and the Villains.

If you don’t know about Vincent Vincent and the Villains and are a fan of anyone from The Specials to The Holloways, then I highly recommend you buy this album. If you’re already a fan then you won’t be disappointed with what you hear.