Tom Vek – Luck

Tom Vek’s third album, Luck, arrives far more promptly than the seven-year gap between his 2004 debut, We Have Sound and the 2011 follow up, Leisure Seizure. An album born under difficult circumstances it comes after Vek’s eviction from his studio, Pallet Recording, a sanctuary now demolished to make way for new flats in London’s up and coming Dalston; showing that nothing is sacred as the gentrification of London’s East End rolls on regardless.

It is this bad fortune that serves as a catalyst for the back to basics feel of Luck with Vek recording all the parts himself, much like on his debut, although at times it lacks the punk-funk warmth of We Have Sound the jarring angst and intoxicating rhythms that have characterised his work remain.

Hypnotic opener “How Am I Meant To Know” gives a taste as to the form of this latest offering. Building to a rousing crescendo it mixes Vek’s half spoken word half sung divisive vocal style with chiming guitars and swirling drums, although it serves as nothing more than a warm up for the album’s lead single “Sherman (Animals in the Jungle)”. Here we find Vek at his dance punk best, simple guitar lines overlap with rhythmic drum patterns, all continually sliced through with a sharp synth sound that demands you pay attention. Lyrics inspired by Tom Wolfe’s, The Bonfire of the Vanities, question the moral ambivalence of today’s social order, mirroring that of the unscrupulous excess of 1980s Wall Street in which the book is set, are all delivered in Vek’s characteristic deadpan monotone. The track is a careful reminder as to why Vek has outlasted so many of his former contemporaries.

Never settling into one style, Luck is an album that cannot be expressed in finite terms. “Broke” is a meandering affair mixing Oriental sounds with unsettling and twitchy machine inflections. Sharp, precise studio composition follows in “Pushing Your Luck”. However, it never quite makes it out of the gate. It is a reserved affair that is dying to be given a tune-up with a remix.

Side-B is where Vek’s usually engaging tricks begin to fall flat. “Ton Of Bricks” has a pathetically weak hook that makes you feel trapped under the proverbial weight that has given the song its name as it draws towards its inevitable conclusion. “Trying To Do Better” is an improvement; with a lyrical sound reminiscent of mid-nineties grunge a la Nada Surf mixed with a tight drum sound and more swirling synth sounds over the chorus. Painfully self-indulgent, “The Girl You Wouldn’t Leave For Any Other Girl”, sees Vek go acoustic while repeating the title of the song in a progressively louder and more aggressive warble. A brave change of pace, or complete and utter filler material – it is left for the listener to decide.

Consolation can be found in “You’ll Stay”. Originally released as a stand alone single in 2012 it bridges the gap between the pomp and prestige of the long awaited sophomore album, Leisure Seizure and the raw inward feel of Luck. Gentle chimes and jangling guitars are met with an absolute thumping, almost drum and bass sound finely merged together in an expert display of production.

There is much to celebrate on Vek’s latest outing. Lyrically it comes across as a very personal affair opening up the listener to some of his faults and blemishes along the way. Those personal flaws however, are also shown musically with track after track misfiring and never quite hitting the mark of his previous work. Unafraid to try new things, Vek displays the tenacity and staying power which has gotten him this far – with a clear cut style and strong sense of production value, Luck is perhaps more accessible than some of his previous work. Ultimately though, it is a shuffle sideways rather than any great leap forward.