Political messages within indie music are a rare thing in music in 2016, with only The 1975 taking it on. This can be put down to two things; a) artists are too scared to truly express the disenchantment they feel or b) everyone is incredibly apathetic to try world around them. However, VANT have proven that they aren’t scared to discuss the big topics and their sold out shows, renowned for descending into chaos, implies that people do care. The band are truly filling a void in music and Karma Seeker, their highly philosophical and political EP, is evidence of how well qualified they are for the job.
Title track Karma Seeker jumps straight in at the deep end as singer Mattie Vant explores the meaning of life. The heavy sound that has become VANT’s signature is replaced by a subdued melody driven by a low bass and almost feels like a warm up for what’s to come. Welcome To The Wonderful World Of Berners Lee is a punchy, 100-second thrill ride through the wackiness of the World Wide Web and is littered with hooks that stay in your head for days. Jesus Is A Conman follows the same melodic formula but here it is pushed into the background in favour of the lyrics. In a time when gun violence is becoming an increasing problem, lyrics such as “we could see the future if only we tried / We could burn every weapon, every gun, every knife” show that punk can be poignant and can actually make you stop and think.
The story of falling in love with an immigrant is documented Birth Certificate carries on the sense of poignancy and is somehow easier to connect with than the previous song is. Perhaps it’s the staccato percussion that hits every other word, ensuring that the message gets through that makes it more accessible but at no point does it seem too much.
In just four songs, VANT have managed to perfectly encapsulate exactly what they stand for lyrically without sacrificing anything melodically. Listening to this EP makes you hungry for more and it’s just a shame we have to wait until next year to hear more.
8/10
For fans of: Wolf Alice, Slaves, Rat Boy
Words by Clara Duffy
‘Karma Seeker’ by VANT is out now on Parlophone Records.
