For clarity’s sake, we don’t know at press time if VANR are offering backpacks as merch to coincide with their new record, but it would be an incredible idea. Also, probably a good investment for many of us- we haven’t bought a backpack since we were in college.
France’s VANR debuted with Pivot, a riff-heavy EP from October last year, but Favorite Backpack engulfs it with twice as many tracks, including the ones from Pivot. While sure to please fans of UK all-stars You Slut!, Delta Sleep and Alpha Male Tea Party, VANR’s organic flow also takes us our minds to the next generations of prog and math in the US like Catbamboo, and Science Penguin.
Get your New Backpack below.
Man, maybe we should sell backpacks wtf.
The second half of Favorite Backpack almost has a different vibe altogether, drawing more on alternative punk and post-punk on tracks like “Thank You” and the massive, ten-minute closer “Parkside.” It never stays too far from math rock, but you can tell the group is pushing things from the inside out, leaning into what feels good for now, especially on what is likely our favorite track overall from the band, “Abandoned Art School.” We don’t think we’ve ever come across one of those, but we bet it’s a cool experience.
After leaving the art school and heading into “Parkside,” it’s exciting to think of where the band will drive themselves next. Even if they’re not super intent on pushing the genre or themselves anywhere in particular, VANR’s love of the craft and enjoyment of the process is on full display here, and if they’re enjoying it this much, it’s more than enough already.
You can find out more about the band here.
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