If “Steerpike,” my first encounter with Vernons Future, proved to be a buoyant and jubilant affair, with resonant bass lines, squalling electronica, dancefloor beats, and the ability to wander between understated verses and anthemic choruses, the new one, “Waxwings,” takes a different musical tack.
Still built of the same sonic components but here put to a slightly different use, “Waxwings” is a more understated piece, it is more reflective and runs on a palpable feeling of nostalgia. The keyboards take the limelight when it comes to a main riff but the song is largely built on something akin to dreamscape and drift, happy to coast along, creating it’s shifting dynamics through rising sonics and chiming guitar salvos set against contrasting lulls, and stripped-back instrumentation.
Although built less on groove and more on grace than before, “Waxwings” is nonetheless a song that takes the best of the rock, pop, and indie worlds—namely, a solid but elegant drive, gentle infectiousness, and some well-crafted instrumental interplay—without succumbing to any of the cliches or sonic baggage.
As The Vernons, this collection of musicians navigated the 80s indie heyday to great success, certainly in terms of the number of shows played as part of the heady and hyperactive Liverpool scene. Such a training ground, learning curve, and time served is the reason why they are able to create such scintillating sounds today.
They say you never forget how to ride a bike. This is the sound of a band getting back on said sonic bike and pulling off some of the cleverest and most impressive musical moves you have seen in a long time.
