houstonpress
summer 2001
by sande chen
Lance Walker rarely
sings in tune. But who cares?
With connections to past and current Houston bands (most notably Jessica
Six), singer/guitarist Lance Walker, bassist Bret Shirley and drummer John
Adams, who constitute Port Vale, are veterans of the scene. The anglophile
Walker recently completed a UK tour to promote his electronic project,
the White Papers.
Port Vale, which takes its name from a much-beloved if far-from-elite Staffordshire,
England, football club, focuses on melodic indie rock. The new album shows
a definite maturation and exploration of forms. The music, while still
marvelously catchy, alternates between extremes of tempo and volume. Gone
are the carefree,
bouncy tunes that filled the EP Western Winds . Instead, the guitars have
more substance, more angst, much more of a buildup.
"Hushed Singles," for example, is absolutely gorgeous with its extended
intro, and there's a tremendous sense of release when it finally resolves
into a steady bounce. Walker, at more of a whisper, switches in and out
with the guitars, and for once, his atonal voice isn't such a bother. Likewise, "Roman
Hands" is a mesmerizing tapestry of indie-pop goodness. "Regency" and "Young
as Snow" are equally entertaining.
"Friday Night Lights" starts off at almost slo-core pace, accented
by something that sounds like a glockenspiel, but then immediately "The
Roof's Fell In!" follows, intermixing fast pop with quiet interludes.
The hyped-up songs like "Kicking Tin" and "Sooner We'll
Get Home" are great, but they don't seem to have the visceral impact
of the slower ones.
Walker rarely sings in tune, and at times his caterwauling seems better
suited for a punk band. But there are plenty of indie bands with less-than-
perfect
vocals, and if one likes the music, then the singing can be tolerated.
Port Vale has earned a shot at more airplay on Houston radio. Despite
the whiny-guy vocals, the songs are instantly likable and could score
a goal
or two in indie land.