The debut release by this band of Houston based twenty-somethings matches nicely
voiced lyrics and a melodica to come up
with a pair of steady movers that might be
compared to The Cars meeting Pavement.
Like the English football club from which
they take their name, Port Vale like to
kick.
A happy emo-pop trio from Houston, Texas playing simple, melodic music
in the tradition of the Promise Ring. This is the kind of the young
"emo" kids like to put on their record players on a sunny day and
just relax (smirk). Quiet, driving guitar, straight-forward rhythms
and slightly off-key vocals. It definitely isn't anything that hasn't
been done before, but if you have a weakness for sappy emo-pop, this
is just for you.
This single is Port Vale's very first release and it is very cool. I like how both
songs have an indie sensibility- good pop songs. "There Goes The
Patience" is a mid-tempo track with lots of jangly guitars. The b-side, "Mass
Transit At Midnight" is more pop than side A. It sounds a bit more quirky,
too. With such a great first single, I am much looking forward to future
releases by Port Vale. - Cindy Wong
Nice strumming, sort of spacey rock.
(Online Interview with a Port Vale Football Club fansite)
nothing groundbreaking here, but who needs broken ground. PV sound like
superchunk on ludes. the b side is the faster, and a bit like pavement.
these songs are short, too short, but well written, and i like the guy's
voice. i'm hoping to hear more.
Is it the shoes? It's gotta be the friendly rock that rolls forth of this 7". Fresh
(not in the 80's sense, entirely) guitar chunking causes the needle to dip towards the Vehicle Flips
scale on the A side's "There Goes The Patience". This song rocks with slight hesitation, resisting
the temptation to kick the pedal into an emo-burst and I think that's good. The B side is "Mass
Transit" and it cruises at an early Archers of Loaf pace. There's one part that goes "rocks and rock
roxxxanne, you know I wanna be your fan" which has to be a take on the 80's rap hit (which name I
can't seem to recall) that goes "roxanne roxanne, I wanna be your man" and I find that kind of
reference-humor incredibly funny. You just had to have been there I guess. Even without the witty
humor this song stands on its own with noodly-catchiness. Listen to it and you, too, will know what
I mean.
Port Vale is a bouncy Houston pop group with an occasional touch of emo in the vocals. Pleasant material, although not that memorable.
The b-side, "Mass Transit at Midnight," takes the slight edge in preference between the two songs with a catchy chorus in "rocks and rock roxxxanne / you know I wanna be your fan." It's catchy enough for me to remember and sing the next morning in the shower. The a-side, "There Goes the Patience," has a nice touch of melodica, which will hopefully be used more in the future, since it might help to make this 7" a little less bare. The drummer is a strong point though, as he manages to keep the beat brisk while the guitars chug along at a medium pace.
For Port Vale to be truly worth checking out, they'll need to
add a little more flavor to their music, as the vanilla quality of
this gets old on my tongue after a few listens.
I have a problem with a lot of US indie rock in that it just reeks of the ordinary, of checked
shirts and trainers, of being in a band until there's something better to do, of setting oneself
within constricting parameters. Port Vale may sound like just another bunch of underachievers at
first listen but stick with it; the title track has a gangly waywardness in the vocals, a wistful
melodica and a lolloping rhythm section that endears it to me. Still can't get my head around the B
side - it's just a bit too college rock for me. Should they keep one ear fixed on the abstract
though, I'll keep both mine fixed on them. (Gayle)
Only two songs here, as you might have guessed. "There Goes the Patience" is moody and a bit
downbeat, but in a pleasantly jangly sort of way. "Mass Transit" is more overtly upbeat and percussive, more
straight pop than emo-leaning, and might trick you into believing it's an instrumental, as vocalist Lance Walker
seems to be doing his work from behind a damp mattress several rooms away. Not that that's a bad thing,
sound-wise. Both songs left me wanting more, so I hope Port Vale's new Western Winds EP finds its way to the
Splendid offices some time soon.
Cool New Order style pop from Houston, with two guitars, drums, and some keyboard. Very '80s sounding.
Check it out, Silver Scooter fans.
Mixes Bright's
limber guitar mantra w/ Braid's heartfelt emotion and beautiful
boy vocals.
It's hard to get away from your past. And I'm not talking about past *mistakes*, mind you, but past in
general - I mean, even if your former band (in this case, Jessica Six) was pretty revered, do you really want to
constantly be reminded of it, no matter what you do? It's tough, though, especially since singer/guitarist Lance's
distinctive voice *defined* Jessica Six for a lot of people. Anyway, don't let that fool you into thinking this is just
a continuation, because it's not; the songs on this 7" are more pop than indie-rock, cool and melodic and mellow. I still
can't make heads or tails of the lyrics, but hell, I don't care as long as I can bop along to "rock roxxanne, rock roxxanne"
in "Mass Transit at Midnight." Cool Stuff. (JH)