If you’re looking for some music to zen out to, listen to some chillwave. If you’re interested in hearing a mishmash of musical influences and twisty songlines that will challenge and delight your ears, we’ve got a treat for you: six piece psychedelic/blues/rock band VietNam. We caught them at Glasslands Gallery, where they swapped instruments, performed their keen sound with soul, and eased their way into our hearts.
VietNam first enchanted us with their before-its-time 2007 LP, Vietnam, which was all over the map. At its core it was a garage album, some songs emotional and pondering (“Toby”), others full of bluegrass twangs and a catchy chorus (“Summer in The City”), and sometimes screaming guitars (“Welcome to My Room”). They’d all but fallen off the map since then, until announcing that their new album, An American Dream, was scheduled for release in February on Mexican Summer.
The new album is an equally rambunctious but more intricate tale of rhythm and blues. During their live set, they played a plethora of instruments from a violin to a slack key slider to a djembe drum. Performing to an energetic crowd, VietNam was passionate, tight-knit, and well-rehearsed to ramble their classic rock jamble. Focusing their energy on new tracks destined to be fan favorites, like the epic harmonica jam “Kitchen Kongas” and the crooney statement tune “Flyin’,” their performance was memorable and nostalgic. See the Brooklyn band for yourself – follow them on facebook to find out when their their next show will be.
