“Someone get me outta this place…” (Vardy – Outta This Place) something I’ve increasingly thought over recent weeks as I read the progressively more and more bizarre headlines, wondering if the last two years have actually been real? And it appears it is not the only thoughts I have in common with Daniel Vardy, the Vardy in question here, recently having released his 7 track Pandemonium 555 EP.
Pandemonium is an appropriate title for these seven steroid injected frantically energetic, vitriolic, indie guitar anthems tinged with a visceral punk attitude, his East Midlands accent demonstrating elements of both anger and desperation throughout the songs.
“It’s Mr Vardy again….oh for f…” Things kick off, and are kicking off, in furiously agitated style on Hypochondriac. “Someone help me, I need a doctor tonight” pleads Vardy in panic-stricken tones as the frenetic instruments reach delirious peaks of agitated noise.
Pandemic fuelled social media misinformation and anger filled idiotic conspiracy theories are railed against on A Nursery Rhyme for the Pandemic. Vardy seems to be like the indie Dead Sheeran in his tongue in cheek visceral rants. Professionally Outraged and Politically Correct Cry Babies are cases in point, both are gloriously joyous in their ridicule of gammon snowflakes, classism, and politicians.
Cull the Human Race
On Extinction (Cull the Human Race), he reflects the thoughts of many that the world would be a better place if it weren’t for mankind. With the human race continually showing the ability to fuck everything up, spread hatred and evil, pushing their individual agendas and generally being pretty shit, Vardy uses cinema’s greatest ever speech to illustrate the point, that of Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator. A speech that has been used many times over the years, notably on several recent releases I have been fortunate to review. A point that actually fills me with a certain level of sadness, that a speech from a film released during World War II is as relevant now as it was then. Have we learned nothing? Rats…
There is however a jagged post punk funky riffing rhythm to the song that gives it an uplifting feel despite the subject matter. This spills over into the albums literal and metaphorical final hoorah. The addictively potent Final Disco lifts things up several notches in its hedonistic two fingers to everything anthemic end of the world feel. A tremendously edifying way to close the EP.