Welcome back, readers! It’s been far too long, and we’re happy to mark our return with a proper bang through Vergo and their new single.
“Lucky Cat” wastes no time at all in establishing itself as an animal of two worlds, and a smart one at that. Melodically, its indisputably math rock, sinking melancholic claws into listeners within seconds. But it also leans into post-rock and shoegaze territory. Stabs of reverb, delay, bite-size vinyl emulation all show up to change the scenery without losing focus of the overall picture. But first, let’s get some background on the band itself.
Vergo is a progressive math rock band based on the American East Coast. Drummer Brenden Castro and guitarist Vince Briglia met at the Covet video shoot for “Farewell,” and decided to change Vince’s hair-metal project into a math rock one. If that’s not cute af, we don’t know what is, but it certainly makes sense, because Covet, and maybe mid-era Town Portal, come across as two of the band’s biggest influences.
Simply put, the song is a banger. “Lucky Cat” hardly overstays its welcome, if anything, it could have stood to be a bit longer. But it’s a smart move on Vergo’s part to keep us wanting more. The band put out “Elysian” in February, and both songs are verifiable ear-worms so… well played, Vergo, well played.
The song is also well mixed, and self-produced to boot. We should probably expect this level of intellect from the guys running Mathy Memes, but even so, it’s pretty impressive as far as math rock self-releases go. Even at its most complex, everyone manages to shine without overshadowing one another.
Most importantly, “Lucky Cat,” is also dedicated to the memory of a most beloved and radical cat named Jules. Jules belonged to bass player Kenny Moyer, and rather than a moment of silence, we recommend that you simply observe Jules’ awesomeness through the fitting tribute that is this song.
Although we never met Jules, Fecking Bahamas recognizes that all cats, everywhere, are bearers of infinite wisdom and love. We are certain that Jules exceeded all known boundaries of excellence, and will continue to do so in all timelines, all the time.
Vergo did a fine job of capturing this sentiment, and we look forward to hearing more.
Check out Vergo’s social media for some slick merch. We’ve got our eyes on that water bottle!