Some albums arrive too soon and miss the limelight. It’s the same with bands. Take McFly for example. Had they all been ten years younger they could be enjoying the sort of global domination One Direction are having now. And they could play their own instruments doing it.
On the flip side of the coin is music that arrives too late. Often unfairly labelled as a throwback or kitsch tribute, some real genre-defining gems cam go under the radar. And it’s more the pity.
A group hoping to buck that trend are the deliciously dark Vladimir. That adjective may be overused and abused all too often but this Dundonian outfit really do fit the bill. Take one look at the cover of their most recent release ‘Come Over’ and it’s clear to see these guys mean business.
Brooding, atmospheric and ladened with oodles of character, the new single is a stomping hit that doesn’t take prisoners. Thrashing drums and a kickback that makes everything seem strangely ghostly and distant, Vladamir have hit on a formula that works.
And they aren’t going unnoticed either. Their sound is gaining attention the width and breadth of the country. While they’ve been described as being “like Joy Division except 1000 times more depressing,” there is hope for their future.
‘Come Over’ is bleak and fuzzy but it’s important to understand its overall place in things. Yes this could, and perhaps should have been released a decade ago to much fanfare. But that doesn’t matter, it’s fresh and unique, two words very rarely used in music these days. Couple with the fact that the band probably were in primary school a decade ago. Sometimes you just can’t win.
Ambitious and brave, ‘Come Over’ is a fantastic calling card for a young, up-and-coming band like Vladimir. With any luck, those same desires will yield much bigger things in the future.