ALBUM REVIEW: VHS – Gift of Life

Suicide Squeeze

Released: 29.07.16

www.violenthumansystem.bandcamp.com

It’s a crowded market out there for post-punk revivalism, and a band needs to do something special to stand out from the crowd should they boast guitars that can be described as ‘angular’.

In the case of VHS, they offer up a frenzied dose of sleaze and grime alongside a collection of songs that find a sweet mid-point between the first two Wipers albums and The Cure circa Faith. There’s a propulsion to these tales of addiction, paranoia and the struggle to survive bound to appeal to anyone awaiting a new Cloud Nothings album, and at just eight songs in twenty-eight minutes – take note, Drake and James Blake – they know that it’s always best to leave the listener wanting more.