ALBUM REVIEW: Vestli – Spielbergs

SPIELBERGS were probably not expecting the outpouring of positive reaction to their debut album in 2019. Titled This Is The End, the band from Norway picked up support from publications such as NME, The Guardian and Pitchfork, as well as Radio 1. BIFFY CLYRO frontman Simon Neil said that their song We Are All Going To Die was the last song to blow him away, and the band hit the jackpot when cult TV channel Adult Swim recently released their new single Go! from their second album Vestli.

Vestli has 12 songs and kicks off with The New Year’s Resolution. The band thrive off the raw, punk-rock energy, or so they should. However, the production – whilst making the song listenable – does also strip the rawness away. In fact, the only sighting of that unpolished perfection is right at the end as a frantic flurry of instruments close out the song.

In fact, this is an issue throughout the album. Whilst the band are clearly having a blast, and there’s no denying that the punk rock energy is there, it just sounds a bit too clean cut. Of course, as this is only their second album, SPIELBERGS might still be testing the waters a bit. Furthermore, the extensive coverage of their first album might have made them a bit more wary of letting things loosen up. Thankfully, as the album goes on, it is clear that SPIELBERGS relax and have fun. For example, Go! provides exactly the raw energy that was needed. It is upbeat, and an extremely fun song as the frantic instruments can’t help but make you want to get up and dance.

Goodbye is a slow and haunting song that does slow the energy a little. However, the addition of the violins makes the pacing issue worth it because they sound beautiful. It doesn’t contain any lyrics, and therefore serves as an instrumental interlude. Whilst it is a lovely interlude, it does feel a little out of place, as the album thus far is very high energy. Therefore, it feels like it just stops when Goodbye starts. If anything, this could have been a great closing song because it sounds like a closing song, and is called Goodbye. It could’ve been a tongue-in-cheek way of closing the album. Instead, it is awkwardly stuck in the middle.

This is not helped by the fact that the album seems to restart when Me And My Friends starts to play. It makes the audience wonder why the track list was in the order that it was. It is unfortunate that SPIELBERGS have fallen into the dreaded ‘sophomore slump’. Whilst they do pick up the energy in latter half of the album, it seems a little lacklustre. For example, Get Lost is a mid-tempo rock song that does not match the high energy of the previous song, Brother Of Mine.

In conclusion, Vestli is a disappointing album. It is clear that the band have real talent, but with pacing issues and a production that sounds like it’s holding the band back, this is not a great follow-up. It is a shame, because there are moments of light on the album, such as Me And My Friends, Go! and Goodbye. However, Goodbye also symbolises another of the album’s pitfalls because it is oddly-placed midway through the album. It is a shame that SPIELBERGS‘ second effort has fallen flat, because this band do deserve the recognition they’ve got. Whilst it has its shining moments, Vestli is a mid-tier album from a band who could do so much better.

Rating: 5/10

Vestli is out now via Big Scary Monsters.

Like SPIELBERGS on Facebook.