Altsounds - Vanna - A New Hope [Album]

And so we add to the never ending list of post-hardcore American bands trying to make an imprint into the music world. Epitaph seem to be reeling out these bands willy nilly and not one has come close to the likes of Alexisonfire who are actually quite good. Saying that Vanna have managed to steer away from the more annoying Enter Shikari, which is a very good thing.

Vanna have been around since 2004 and have certainly been working hard, floating around the post-hardcore scene playing many live shows across the US and inevitably landing in the hands of Epitaph. After a demo and a couple of releases the band say this is their most sophisticated work to date, and there seems to be alot of hard work put into 'A New Hope'.

Artwork wise the band probably could have done abit better, as you can see the front is just a skull with some lettering and a strange colourful tree. Now from a person that usually walks into a record store (very rare nowadays, bloody digital downloads) and finds the album with the coolest artwork to take home, 'A New Hope wouldn't have done anything to float my boat, but its the content that matters right?

The post-hardcore genre does an incredible job of sorting the men from the boys, if you can't balance some beautiful harmonies with grueling screams and vocalists vomiting all over the track then your no good. Give up, hang your tight black annoying trousers up to dry and burn them along with those terrible tattoos. Vanna do hit the points of climax at times throughout 'A New Hope' but there is alot of work to be done. Musically they hit the spot, you cant ask for a tighter drummer (well you could) or faster guitarist (again you could). Vocally it just seems to lack something now and again, whether it be a harmony not quite right or a scream placed somewhere it shouldn't be. Vanna do hit the g-spot one or two times with some great spine tingling vocal harmonies and double kick creaminess.

Vanna are nothing new, they are another post-hardcore band to be adored by fans of, well, that genre. Keep at it boys and it will definitely come, for now you need 'A New Hope', why don't you ask George Lucas for the answer.

Tracks:
01. Let's Have An Earthquake
02. Into Hell's Mouth We March
03. The Same Graceful Wind
04. Like Changing Seasons
05. Trashmouth
06. Safe To Say
07. We Are Nameless
08. Sleepwalker
09. Where We Are Now
10. Ten Arms
11. Life and Limb
12. The Sun Sets Here