Customer Reviews

Vice & Virtue Ministry

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You know what; Austin and Dallas should open an indie music museum consisting of the many, many Texas indie bands, and The Happy Bullets song "Learning To Love The Factory" should be left on repeat on the over head speaker system. It would be this wonderfully mystical place where pot heads, hippies, hippy-pot heads, and music connoisseurs alike could come together and marvel at some of most creative musicians of this nation.

That's the thought that came to my head today riding the Tram to school, listening to this The Happy Bullets debut album, staring into the clouds. It was a high all the pot trips I've gone through in my high school and college years couldn't top... accumulated!

This album is truly remarkable. It is both unique and creative, what more could an indie rock fan want? Besides a special bowl in every CD package: nothing!

The album starts with "Learning To Love The Factory", which really is an aural experience. It just has this mystical subtle sound to it, the harmonies in the background, the soft banjo picking, the soothing vocals, the clouds in the sky.......... After such, the album goes into my personal favorite, the title track, "The Vice And Virtue Ministry". A great song with great melodies. When they are not bending their guitar notes, the singer is creating the same sound effect with his vocals--It's amazing. "Drinking On The Job" solidifies a brilliant opening to this album. The song features a nice synth, which adds to the great 80s sound of the song. "Mr. Gray" is a silly sounding song, and being late to class today, I found particularly funny. "The Disquieting Letter" introduces the brass section of this band. The trumpets and beat make for a New Orleans festival sound. It's a really good song. "A Momentary Vision..." is a somber piece laced with melancholy cellos, pianos, vocals and all. "A Proper Rifle Assembly" is another song similar to "The Disquieting Letter", though only in the fact it brings the brass section back in effect. It sounds more like a sailors theme, however, while "Weights And Measures" has a Beatles-esque rhythm.

Everything else on this album is great in its own sense, with the exception of "If You Were Mine", which finds my proclivity to skip strongest.

Overall, if I had to sum up The Happy Bullets sound, I would say they are like The Beatles collaborating with Modest Mouse collaborating with The Kinks collaborating with The Decemberists collaborating with The Psychedelic Furs. Something I should note about this band is that each member writes their own songs and sings them, so usually you can tell who wrote what by who is singing it. It's something not to be missed!

Every so often I'm driving in the silence of my car and I begin humming a song that's popped into my head from seemingly nowhere. Then I start singing random parts of the song very loudly, with much gusto. I have probably done this for every song from "The Vice and Virtue Ministry."

The songs are relentlessly catchy geek rock, sort of a lovechild between the Beatles and They Might Be Giants. A few standouts: "A Momentary Vision of the End of the World As Seen Through the Eyes of a Suburban Housewife" is haunting and beautiful. "Drinkin' on the Job" has a cool Ray Lynch/New Age-meets-rock thing going on. "A Proper Rifle Assembly" begins with a cool military beat and builds into this soaring, life-afirming spectacle. And "If you were mine" is good chick-rock fun.

Buy it for your friends. You'll all be singing along.

The title of this review is really horrible.

The first thing I thought when I heard the Happy Bullets was "Oh, 'Of Montreal' but more listenable." The only two things I am lessed-than-pleased about on this record are the choice in opening song (probably my least fav on the record) and something-not-quite-definable that makes the production less than perfect. Oh: and next time, more horns!

Otherwise this is a must have. (And those are pretty minor gripes.)

But besides advising you to give this disk a spin (hipsters and the rest of us alike), I must say: see this band live if you ever have the chance. This record is getting 5 stars from me because (#1 the songwriting, but...) I have seen them live a number of times, and that intelligent-but-uplifting vibe and amazing energy that comes through strong in their live shows can be heard, and remembered, whenever necessary.

Oh! Britpop! Love that whole vibe as well.

This is a great collection of songs, written and produced with a fine sense for pop. My head spun the first time I heard Learning to Love the Factory, as I happen to work in one, and they really nailed the experience, which does involve coworkers' meaningless conversations and eating one's lunch in the car. I'd give it five stars, but two of the three vocalists have issues with intonation. Nothing as bad as, say, The Offspring's lead singer; I don't even mind it in most cases, but it is a bit of a distraction and a disappointment, especially as the album is otherwise very well put-together.

I cannot get that song out of my head! I love it!
After months of listening to this cd, i am not tired of it yet.