Scott Morrow is ALARM’s music editor. Patrick Hajduch is a very important lawyer. Each week they debate the merits of a different album.
Tom Vek: Leisure Seizure (Downtown / Island, digital = 6/7/11, physical = 9/13/11)
Tom Vek: “A Chore”
[audio:https://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Tom_Vek_A_Chore.mp3|titles=Tom Vek: “A Chore”]Hajduch: Alt-pop singer/multi-instrumentalist Tom Vek released his under-the-radar debut, We Have Sound, in 2005. Since then, he’s remained very quiet. It turns out that he was holed up in a studio, preparing more of his rhythmically propulsive, sort-of-electronic, meticulously produced post-punk pop jams. Leisure Seizure recently arrived digitally (a physical release is forthcoming), and it’s very solid, if largely unsurprising. Banging drums and sing-along choruses have always been Vek’s MO, and they serve him well here.
Morrow: They do serve him well, and Leisure Seizure is full of simple yet effective melodies that are aided by a nice range of electric and electronic timbres. The drawback, however, is Vek’s vocals. They can be effective too, but more often than not, they’re just a reminder that he can’t sing.
There are a few Cake-esque moments, which are most pronounced on “World of Doubt.” I know that you love those, Mr. Lawyer, and I like that track for two reasons: 1) the twangy, droning timbres are awesome and match the bells well, and 2) Vek doesn’t pretend that he can sing.
Hajduch: I didn’t really think of Cake (probably because there isn’t an “oh yeah, all right” in the background every bar), but I see where you are coming from. I like his voice — it’s serviceable, and it works well within the songs he’s written. “A.P.O.L.O.G.Y.” is a good example; he keeps his voice low, it stays out of the way of the beat and the riff, and there’s a chorus you can sing along with by the second time you hear it.
The really surprising thing about this album, to me, was how closely it adheres to his formula. I don’t know what I expected, but it seems like Vek’s progressed much more as a producer than as a songwriter. I know this sounds like complaining, and it’s not, but there’s really no curve ball here, just more really good tunes. I hope more people hear this one!
Morrow: I have to say that you’re more enthusiastic about this one than I am. I enjoy the production, but I can’t get into the singing and choruses. One of my pet peeves is a chorus that repeats the same line over and over, and that’s pretty commonplace on Leisure Seizure. Still, the album is worth checking out, and it has that sort of everyman appeal with the vocals.