We are honoured to bring to you an exclusive early listen to the new EP from Modern Guilt entitled ‘We’ll Always Have Vegas’
‘We’ll Always Have Vegas’ is a delicious set of guitar-driven tracks imbued with an incandescent pop sensibility and a verve and energy that is thrilling. At the heart is an emphasis on mountain range-high melodies and a glam rock sensibility.
The EP deals with a panoply of personal themes. Frontperson Jaz Dalrymple states,
The new EP is about the fruitless, delusional and intoxicating arc of reaching into the pit of ourselves and having a good rummage around, chasing complete pleasure and the internal narratives, stories and monologues that accompany each stage of the rise and fall. From looking for the cure to emptiness and loneliness into the circus of nights in and nights out and back to the beginning again.
It’s the search for a cure to your loneliness, artificially maintaining it as long as your body can stand, and at its peak, it can become this cacophony of supernovas, lust and desire that wanes into this mirror-gazing collapse as it begins to slow and resulting in new found emptiness.
Opening track ‘Talking to Myself’ sets off on a galloping pace over jangling insistent guitars and Dalrymple’s urgent vocals a la Mick Jagger with cool woo-hoos over the top. The rousing chorus adds to the louche delivery.
‘Joy Control’ sets off with a slamming percussion and a wry and dry sneering delivery over the dappling guitars. There is an insouciant attitude in the vocals that recalls Lou Reed and a guitar slam redolent of The Strokes.
you keep me hanging on
oh on the telephone
i can’t take much more
oh well i’m here for
oh well i’m here for
oh well i’m here for joy control
‘I Want To Show You God’ exemplifies the band’s swagger and style – a theatrical delivery that that has a glam rock stomp and a studied pose with come-hither vocals. Drummer Scott Thompson says of the track:
It’s two songs in one really; both the narrative of wanting to be wanted, and the complete abandonment of throwing yourself at lust and desire. On one hand it’s a little sitting outside of yourself and watching how these things unfold, but then there’s also a natural spiritual element of connection between two people. It’s like a cult leader writing a book on how to be wanted, and I want to be adored.
‘How To Buy Happiness’ with Dalrymple’s Marc Bolan vocals is another track filled with a cheeky swagger and posture while final track ‘Gramophone Remedy’ is a quieter exit with its ballad style over acoustic guitars and romantic expression – I want you to love me like a scene on the movies.
‘We Will Always Have Vegas’ is an EP imbued with style and panache and a delicious sense of cheekiness and theatricality. It is out UK time on Friday 8 March 2024 and available to pre-save here.
