Vanilla Trainwreck – Kiss Me [1994; Mammoth Records]

image

In the title track A-side, Vanilla Trainwreck tear off a fast-moving blear of jangling guitar, hard-bopping drums, and detached, nearly atonal singing, with the underlying bass-lines as the one piece of firmness to it.  The dreamy arrangement makes its assault of electric guitar and drumming work, somehow, trailing off into a feedback fade following the finishing eruption.  The band cover a Talking Heads track, “Electric Guitar”, on the B-side, slowing the pace while increasing the audio haze, gradually upping the pressure as they climb towards the end.  An odd but pleasing pair, with some underexplored facets of the band on display.

Vanilla Trainwreck – Be a Sunny Beauty [1993; Mammoth Records]

image

With opening track “Quandry”, Vanilla Trainwreck burst into grungy alt rock with a dusting of shoegaze attitude, with a roar of keyboards or pedaled-up guitar pushing past the chorus-pumping riffs and vocals.  On the B-side, “Florida” keeps the general flavoring the same, but shifts to a mellower tempo and almost surf-rocky guitar toning.  Quick and lively, with a surprising depth to the song-writing underneath the bluster.