Vessel, one of Atlanta’s current best, is set to release its debut LP on April 2, and the first single “Game” shows us why that’s big news both inside and outside the Perimeter. This post-punk head-bobber is exceedingly pleasant, avoiding some of the common traps of the style. It’s not too angry, it’s not too noisy, it isn’t concerned with politics that cross over into the performative or weighed down by self-important art school arrogance. It just bounces along on a tight backbone with buoyant bass and precise drumming underpinning sharp guitar jabs, a meandering keyboard solo, and drummer Alex Tuisku’s vocals. (She’s joined by Isaac Bishop on the second verse, and considering he’s already handling the keys and the saxophone, he should qualify for overtime pay.)
Oh yeah, there’s a sax on this. It’s a key part of Vessel’s sound, but here it doesn’t take the shape you might expect. You won’t hear the ear-bleeding aggression Steve Mackay brought to the Stooges, or the anxious yawps of James Chance. Bishop comes in at the 90 second mark with a smooth, melodic, fairly straight-forward solo that keeps “Game” sailing along, and then guitarist Keron Robinson starts to play off and around Bishop’s solo about 15 seconds later. The two circle each other for the final half minute of the song, and that’s the part I keep rewinding to.
“Game” feels good to listen to, but it’s also an interestingly constructed song. There’s no obvious chorus or bridge, just a verse repeated twice with different lyrics. A keyboard part floats around for a minute or so, and then it ends with that dance between the guitar and saxophone. It doesn’t lean too hard into the dancier side of things, but despite that the influence of fellow Georgia band (and classic post-punk group) Pylon is evident.
Vessel’s upcoming album Wrapped in Cellophane comes out in April on Double Phantom Records, and hey, band, good job making me think of Twin Peaks without overtly referencing it. If the album catches on Vessel could very easily slide into the same niche currently filled by Sweeping Promises, and although I don’t know the band one bit I am a loyal, longstanding Atlantan who would definitely like to see that happen.
Listen to “Game” below.