VHS or Beta

Louisville's VHS or Beta indulge their rocker side on their fifth album, Bring on the Comets, nudging the spotlight off their house heritage and onto massive alt-rock guitar melodies. Credit is due to their discoid roots, however, for the steady 4-4 thump that anchors the lower end of these dance-rock songs, giving the guitars room to bounce off the walls. There are plenty of white-hot moments: the ambiguously militant rhythm of "Burn It All Down," the jacking post-punk of "Time Stands Still" and the cosmic arena rock of the title track. When dropped on the right dancefloor or playlist, these hunky numbers are sure to get a response.

Yet, as you move through the album, its sheer relentlessness starts to become a bit overbearing—nearly every track builds to a hands-in-the-air crescendo. There are a few refreshing breaks: the muffled disco of the opener, the squirrelly intro on "We Could Be One" and the ambient confection "Alpha Theta"—but the longest of these barely tops a minute. By and large, Bring on the Comets is all anthems all the time. VHS or Beta have always been a dance band, so you can understand their eagerness to pump up the volume. But at the same time, you'd think that would have taught them the importance of pacing. Bring on the Comets is one long, ecstatic blaze. When taken in smaller, single-sized servings, this energy is undoubtedly a good thing. But over a whole album, the nonstop adrenaline rushes become exhausting, making it hard to find a way to connect with the songs emotionally.

—Toby Warner
08.28.07

Instead of trying to create a futuristic Daft Punk dance-funk on Bring on the Comets, VHS or Beta borrow from the decadent '80s, taking notes on forming pop songs from their alt predecessors, Depeche Mode and Tears for Fears. The grooves that were once the cornerstone for their early work are much less noticeable here, as they've been draped with grandiose, sweeping choruses. Becoming more concise and memorable songwriters is a good thing, but now the result is too much like straight-up '80s pop sprinkled with dance-punk sensibilities. The songs are so polished and dipped in sheen that they beg for a raw moment where the smooth knob is turned to the left. Glistening keyboard arpeggios melt behind the Simon LeBon-like vocal crooning while kick thump and delayed guitar riffs are stacked upon track after track until all the tracks blend together in bland mediocrity. This isn't to say that the songs are monotonous. There are interesting chord changes prevalent, especially in moments like the chorus of "Can't Believe a Single Word" marinated in Rick Springfield guitar chunks or the surprising swing to the XTC hook of "Love in my Pocket," and it wouldn't be accurate to call Bring on the Comets predictable, but the stylish gloss of it all just sounds, well, samey. The songs aren't remarkable and they aren't bad, they're just there. Big catchy hooks are interesting at first, especially on "Fall Down Lightly," but the disc ultimately doesn't merit more than a couple listens before cooling off and becoming passé. The good news is that the band seems to be moving towards a bright white light, away from the Killers style dance-punk, evolving, and getting closer to finding their own style. They're not quite there yet, but they're definitely on the hunt, rummaging around for something better. ~ Jason Lymangrover, All Music Guide