Vain Pursuit

During the various lockdowns that accompanied the emergence of each new COVID strain, I vividly remember watching a news clip showing capital cities around the world deserted—yet filled with wildlife freely roaming the streets, unencumbered by humans. The emotions this evoked were complex: fear for the future mingled with hope that, perhaps, the world was about to hit some kind of reset button?

Around the same time, Spotify (yes, I know—boo, hiss) introduced me to Vinny Ball and his Vain Pursuit project through my ‘release radar.’ I quickly became hooked on a modest back catalogue of singles and EPs that, for me, became the unofficial soundtrack of the pandemic—perfectly capturing the era’s anxiety and potential.

Now, over half a decade later, the debut album "Meaningless Miles" is being released on South Africa’s Subjangle label. The album continues to convey that striking contrast. Tracks like “What You Owe Me,” “Good In Me,” and “Swan Village Junction” embrace optimism, weaving effervescent dream-pop textures through isolated, jangling riffs—providing melodies that linger long after each track ends.

Yet, beneath this ever-present sense of beauty, the album occasionally takes a darker turn. Songs like “In The Way,” “Mad Dog,” and “The One I Adored” find the New Yorker exploring a musical hinterland between the subtle, shadowy jangle-gaze of The Docks and the muted guitar shimmer of The Church or The Chameleons’ post-punk sound.

With the world seemingly intent on fighting with each other about nothing more than oil, which God from eleventy-squillion years ago is the real one, who owns 'that' peace of land and what cultural identity should be assumed by the global population, the contrast in Vain Pursuit's music just seems so perfect adroit again.

Buy your limited edition CD from Subjangle here.