From Amazon.co.uk
Hailing from the same University Of London digs as
Coldplay, and reaching for the mantle of Yank-inflected indie-rock when nu-metal is in the ascendancy, youthful Brit-rock four-piece My Vitriol should really have found this debut album business a bit of an uphill struggle. Somewhat surprisingly, though, they've delivered the goods; at its best,
Finelines suggests the dynamic scissor-kick choruses and sleek power-pop of the
Foo Fighters, as envisaged through the effects pedals of
My Bloody Valentine sound-alchemist Kevin Shields--the spirit of shoegazing spiked with guts, adrenaline and adolescent fantasies of towering walls of noise. Thankfully, too, this is far more substantial than many debut albums; more than just a smattering of hit singles amid a sea of filler,
Finelines is pieced together by slick segues and thoughtful sequencing. Even the effortlessly pop moments, such as roller-coaster-grunge peaks "Always: Your Way" and "Losing Touch", don't show up the occasional mellow forays into creeping-feedback guitar ambience. Any criticisms? Only that the reedy vocals of frontman Som Wardner lack a certain soul, making the actual emotional viscera of
Finelines a little indirect. Still, on the basis of this fine debut, there's no reason why My Vitriol couldn't be serious "Voice of a Generation" contenders.
--Louis Pattison
Album Details
Reissue of their debut album along with Between The Lines, which comprises rarities, B-sides & session tracks. Including videos for 'Always-Your Way' & 'Pieces'. 2001.