Cassette Review: THE VIVIDS "888 EP" (PURE DEVOTION RECORDS)

[$5 // http://puredevotionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/888-ep]

I'm not sure why this is the 888 EP, but I know it's 222 above 666 and so that might have some meaning.   Also, if 666 is the devil then wouldn't it stand to reason that 999 is good?   This is also 111 away from that, so it might be that idea of being just a little bit away from heaven.   I don't know exactly and it might even just be a reminder that there are 8 songs on here.

This starts off with some dreamy garage sounds which have elements of punk in them.   It's somewhat psychedelic and then there are also slow drudges and drum machines.   I've not quite heard something like this before- which is a very good thing- but it has some slight resemblance of Screen Vinyl Image.    Guitars can come out like Nirvana at times and just an overall sense of The Who at others, but it's done more in the way that you can expect what to find in The Vivids' record collection.
Through a little bit of Modest Mouse feel there comes that cross between Cloud Nothings and The Lot Six.    At times this can be screamy but for the most part it's melodic and in quite possibly the best way you've never heard of yet.    At the end (for the last song) there are pieces of The Cure coming out and I'm really enjoying how complete of a cassette this feels like.

What I find perhaps most interesting about this band- The Vivids- is that I mentioned Screen Vinyl Image in here and that's somewhat fitting to how I feel about this music on the whole.    There was a time not that long ago when a lot of the music I was listening to was based on suggestions by When the Sun Hits and when you listen to bands they recommend you always have a similar experience but then there are always a couple bands that stick out like a sore thumb (in a good way).

The Vivids remind me of one of those When the Sun Hits bands that you'd listen to and say, "Really? Ok" because they're good, but you wouldn't expect them to be on the same compilation, and then yet the fact that they are so good just goes to show you why they are.     I haven't actually really been keeping up with WTSH so The Vivids could be on a compilation of theirs already for all I know, but if they aren't then I'd expect they might be one day.

Regardless of all that these are well crafted songs that bridge the link between sanity and insanity.    It's a splash of cold water to the face right when you're about to fall asleep, yet so comforting in ways that you're not afraid to fall asleep if you can.   Just such an amazingly rocking cassette and in 2015 we are bringing the rock back.