When a band finds “their sound,” it’s always influenced by some other style. However, when the band reaches maturity, that sound becomes something not only hard to describe, but impossible to define. The Beatles, while influenced by early rock and roll musicians like Chuck Berry, grew to develop their own style that is still difficult to define, and can only be described vaguely as “beatlesesque.” With that in mind, I suppose there’s really no other way to describe Double Vanity, the latest album from Broncho, than “bronchoesque.”
They’re not a newcomer to the industry by any means. In fact, Bronchos’ success has been on the rise ever since their beginning as a soundtrack band in 2010. Heavily influenced by punk-rock, Broncho has held firm to their roots while managing to creatively evolve their style into something entirely new. And while it can be difficult trying to review a band you can’t define, it’s also absolutely enthralling.
Broncho Coming Into Their Own
The first track on the album, “All Time,” starts out with the full-bodied, grungy, echoing synthetics that you’ll find on nearly all of the pieces on Double Vanity. The percussion is heavy and clipped, almost militaristic, while maintaining a paradoxical aura of nostalgia throughout the entire song. “Highly Unintentional” is another interesting number. The rhythm on this one (Broncho is good at rhythm) is considerably slower and more mellow, and the track itself is highly sentimental with subtle vocal harmony and a semi-orchestral sounding chord progression.
“New Karma” is a little more rock-ish than some of the other tracks. Its underlying dissonance, paired with a rich, rolling guitar that vaguely reminded me of the accent of a Scottish aristocrat, was as innovative as it was amusing. It’s an example of the occasionally confusing freshness that bands like Broncho bring to the table. Meanwhile, album reviewers everywhere lose sleep trying to think of how to describe what we’ve heard. The album ends on a sentimental note with “Wanna Wake up.” The rhythm guitar and soft vocal intro close the album out with the same bittersweet feel the album started on.
When we hear a band do something great like Broncho has with Double Vanity, it’s almost always just the beginning. The Beatles weren’t even close to finished with Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Pink Floyd had a ways to go after Dark Side of the Moon. We expect and hope that Broncho will release material in the future that at least meets Double Vanity in its sheer musical genius and creativity.
