A decade or so ago The Virginmarys released a track called “Into Dust”. It’s first line “I wanna say I’m tired but I’m fucking bored” is, as I have written on these pages, the finest example of the seething anger of living in the shadows of a big city.
Mark Vennis And Different Place eould get it, for that is the same thing that binds the songs on “Small Town Vampire” together. Frustration. The chorus for the title track gives it away. “Small Town Vampire, big time dreams” it goes. “Just another blood sucking scene”.
“Small Town Vampire” one of those records where you bandy phrases like “blue collar” and “loose-limbed” about without anyone knowing what they mean, here it just means anger. “Same Old Story” begins with the thought “you grew up in a satellite town, the satellite of another crap town” and as someone who did likewise (and still lives there) its a feeling I can well empathise with.
Its Vennis’ delivery that most surprises though. Its not hard to see him as a kind of UK take on Craig Finn, certainly there’s a sort of half spoken, near punk swirl on all of this, and a tough edge to the likes of “Wild Suburban Boy”.
“Slip These Chains” has a jam type vibe, it’s not far from asking what chance you have against a tie a crest. The answer is that it knows you’ve got none.
Indeed, the more you listen to the likes of “World Stops Turning” the more the hopelessness of the situation strikes you. Fans of modern day Ruts DC could do worse than get here.
There’s a sense of confusion, of trying to find your place in the world as clear as day in all of this, but never more clear than on “Hiding In Plain Sight” with the thought that “you’re picking up the pieces of what you dreamt your life to be”
And just in case you thought there’s a silver lining, there’s not. “That Familiar Feeling Of Falling” does not do happy endings, contentment or any such thing.
It’s called 2024. And this is the soundtrack. Short and not exactly sweet, this is one of those “is it an EP, is it a mini album” things. What isn’t up for debate, however, is that “Small Town Vampire” is an absolute gem.
Rating 8.5/10
