nyc stuff and nyc bags by Vondelpark
LABEL: R&S Records

Surrey (South East England) trio Vondelpark have been compared to The xx, the sound of their R&S Records debut Sauna EP being labeled by some as “emo-garage” (as in, “garridge”). They’ve returned with their second EP, nyc bags and nyc stuff, continuing in a soulful, shoegaze-influenced vein — and to some extent — softening the rough patches in their sounds. The group has refined its haziness and have shed some of the New Order influence. But this five-track EP isn’t a miraculous leap forward: it’s a testament to the group coming one step closer to finding their sound in the melting pot of the current British electronic scene.

The drums here are softer and not as busy, the guitars less twangy. The vocals are still disembodied, often coming from far away in the mix. Indeed, the eerie, rueful vocal tracks on “Camels” sometimes sound like James Blake, who has also released music on R&S. And speaking of percussion, check the sultry, samba-esque drums driving the dreamy “Feat B,” that combine with guitars, vocals, and horns floating in and out of the mix like ragged ghosts. On the opening track, though, the vocals almost take the fore, supported by sleek, twinkling guitar lines, a pulsing synth, and clicking drums.

At first, this seems like blissful, sun-drenched music, but it’s undercut by drastic melancholy comparable to How to Dress Well. Hearts are on display here, and thus it’s equally easy to lump this into the post-dubstep umbrella or the indie scene. The woozy beginning of “TV” seems like it could go in a number of different directions before settling into its groove.

Indeed, the closest tie this EP has to the post-dubstep scene is the pronounced R&B influence. “Hipbones” bears the most traces of R&B, bouncing forward with snaps and panning, echoing horns as the refrain is delivered: “You’ve got it going for you.” It’s got the most prominent bass on the EP, but bass is not the impetus of this music at all.

Vondelpark received a ridiculous amount of hype surrounding their Sauna EP release because, unlike most other musicians in their scene, they had no website, Myspace, anything. It’s a kind of anti-buzz, perhaps indicating that they care more about the music. If that’s the case, it has paid off, because this release has staying power — some of the best somber summer music I’ve heard this year. Indeed, Vondelpark describe “Outro for NYC,” the last track, as “travelling back from a club at 6am...only half-aware of where you are going,“ and it is this numb haze, this preoccupation with one’s own half-formed and half-understood thoughts that dominate throughout the EP. Look, the sun is rising.


REVIEWED BY MANUEL ABREU