Preoccupations - Preoccupations

Preoccupations
Preoccupations
2016
Spotify

Viet Cong as a band name was always going to be a tough road to hoe. To much political whirlwind swirling around the name to make it anything more than a distraction from the bands music. It only took seven months for Viet Cong to become Preoccupations both the band and the album. The name fits like a glove as the record is always consumed with anxiety and the oppression of the outside world. The heavy fuzz is almost shoegaze worthy but takes on an almost post punk sensibility. The music is heavy both in subject matter and sound but that heavyiness lends itself to some really interesting choices. On "Memory" the band takes on an almost The Cure sound with a super catchy hook and very danceable rhythms but that sense of urgency and mistrust is still there hanging over the entire enterprise. It is almost as if the dayglo of the 80s never happened and the music stayed a bit darker and a bit more off of center. The space between "Memory" and "Degraded" is quite important as well as the tracks sort of spill in to one another making each just that little bit better than they could be on their own. That is the same for much of the album as Preoccupations have really made an effort to make this sound and feel like one flowing connected piece of music.

"Fever" the final track on the album has that very 80s sense with the synth line, but it never feels dated even with the almost Bowie-esque style vocals. The second half of the album is lighter than the first but that enclosing feeling and the fight against it never leaves. I've most likely used this word far to much during this review but that heavy oppressive vibe is one that the album really banks on. IN the hands of other groups it could almost be to much pressure to really enjoy the music, but Preoccupations take the idea and spin it off so many different ways. The emotions that they create around the album feel so entirely their own yet so relatable. The pace never settles nor do the band give you much time to catch your breath throughout the record, only adding to that sense that the time for you to listen to this music is slipping away and if you don't capture it, you may never find it again. Preoccupations with their name change and a somewhat of a musical shift have done something really special with this reinvention. Do not miss this album or it very well might slip away.

8.1 out of 10