Vasudeva – No Clearance (2017)

Spring is kicking in here in Central Europe; fresh and warm air is filling up your lungs, the blossoming smell of flowers indulges your sense of smell while vibrant sunbeams finally help you to cure your vitamin D deficiency. All this shallow weather talk just serves as a set-up for a simple, yet precise analogy for Vasudeva’s brand new sophomore LP No Clearance.

On these new tracks the post-rock trio from New Jersey creates wide sonic spaces, in which guitarists Grant Mayer and Corey Mastrangelo alternate between ringing and reverb-laden open chords and bright and intriguing lead melodies that set the vitalizing and positive mood of the record. The backbone for all this is the dancey rhythm section, supplying the melodies with lots of drive and groove to keep the liveliness of the tracks going. The introduction of electronic drum elements in ‘Goner’ and ‘Rough Tape’ also make things a little more interesting down the road.

While not as technical, intricate or tap-heavy as its predecessor, No Clearance sees Vasudeva focusing all their energy into melody instead and providing an enthralling listening experience that is as pleasant to take in as a deep breath on a sunny, dewy morning – or a tranquil and colorful afternoon, should you happen to live in the Southern Hemisphere.