Girl at the Rock Shows

I don’t know why, but finding the motivation to work on album reviews just hasn’t been there for me. Maybe it’s life getting in the way, or maybe I just don’t find a sense of joy in reviewing music from home as I do at a concert. Either way, it just hasn’t been happening. All that being said, I have a few hours before my show tonight. My dinner is going to be a bit uninspired, but I am feeling creative and ready to jump into some new music, so why question it? Let’s spend some of this free time with Vic Bondi and his new EP, ‘Vic Bondi and His Issues.’

I don’t know what I was expecting when I pushed play on this album, but it definitely wasn’t what I got. “Sun God” kicks this five-song EP off with a bang and instantly hits me like the first time I ever heard an album from The Transplants. It’s an angsty little number full of rage and aggression, yet with well-thought-out, relatable lyrics. With a beautiful mix between 80s hardcore and something a bit more street punk feeling, this song definitely sets the trajectory for this quick EP, and by the time this opening track was done, I already knew that five songs were just not going to be enough for me.

Things calm down a bit as the album moves onto “Strata.” Don’t get me wrong, you still get an insane amount of grit and angst in this song, but it just has a bit more of a less frantic tempo, and you feel like you’re seeing a whole other side of Vic Bondi with the way the lyrics turn from abrasive to a bit more introspective. Although I latched onto the personalization of the lyrics, the political statement behind this song is poignant and perfect, and the way the slower beat gives you an almost-perfect marching rhythm makes this a new favorite protest song of sorts. It’s dirty and gritty, much like the message being told.

The political vibe continues into “Demolition Days” (and honestly through this entire EP), which brings back the taste of angst and blood felt in “Sun God.” This song feels unhinged in a way with the way the power is absolutely relentless, but, at the same time, Vic stays completely in control throughout this nearly four-minute-long song. This song definitely reminds me of The Transplants. The quick beat mixed with chugging guitars, slamming drums, and the fierce vocals feels very street punk-inspired, but doesn’t quite feel like a street punk song.

“P-I-G” may be the shortest song on this release at just one minute and forty-five seconds, but don’t let that fool you. This is far from a flyover song and may be the most powerful one on the track. It’s, again, completely relentless, but the energy of this song hit me just slightly harder than in the previous tracks. I wish I could tell you why that is, but I just don’t have the words or even know what it is. All I know is that, for a solid ten minutes, I had this song on repeat and created a nice little mosh pit with myself as my cats watched on with wonderment.

‘Vic Bondi and His Issues’ closes out with “When I’m Sixty Four.” I knew, just from the title alone, that this song was going to have some charm behind it, and I was right. Although just as gritty and angsty as the previous track, this twist on the classic Beatles song is absolutely brilliant. You have a small taste of retro guitars in this song, but, honestly, had I not recently heard this cover done by someone else at a show, I don’t know that I would have caught onto the fact that this was a cover. I’m not a huge follower of The Beatles (as my brother always says, The Beatles were just okay), and could have easily mistaken this song as an original from Vic Bondi just due to all of the signature sounds and moods that he has put into this flawless cover.

I have now listened to this EP nearly six times on repeat. I just can’t get enough, but also can’t get over the feeling that I know Vic’s voice and his style. If you haven’t caught on, I really don’t do much research when diving into an album, a song, or even a show, so I had no clue that Vic Bondi was the Vic Bondi of Chicago’s legendary Articles of Faith. After finding that out, everything about this album made sense. From the flawless presentation to the relentless energy, Vic is a legend, and this release proves that, even after many decades and various projects, he still has it.

Tl,Dr: For a classic hardcore sound with a timely political message, look no further than Vic Bondi and ‘Vic Bondi and His Issues.’ If you need a punch in the gut but also a comforting feeling to know that you aren’t alone with a bunch of pent-up rage and angst, given everything happening around the world, this is the album for you. It’s quick and dirty but don’t be afraid to have this play on repeat for a couple of hours or days.

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