“I am NULA, and I am free.”
Trying to compartmentalize VUKOVI’s sound into a single label under a genre feels almost impossible considering the pure flexibility that they have been able to display. Through this, their highly anticipated third project, NULA, has proven to be well worth the wait, and has delivered tremendously in their indefinable sound, with coarse nu-metal riffs, ethereal electronic soundscapes, and pop hooks that carry a dangerously addictive quality. Duo Janine Shilstone and Hamish Reilly have been able to flawlessly concoct a wholly unique sound that’s vaguely reminiscent of peers WARGASM (UK) and Poppy, with a maturity that’s visible through the progression of their previous records.
I wasn’t sure what to expect on the intro track “DEPARTURE”, but the title sets you up for exactly what is to come. This track flawlessly immerses listeners into the project with an extraterrestrial sounding ambience that demands your attention, swiftly becoming one of the strongest introductory tracks I’ve heard all year. The alternate reality that VUKOVI is intending for their audience is all but complete before entering “TAINTED”. Being able to fuse Hamish’s downright nasty riffing with Janine’s uniquely gorgeous vocals manufactures a cinematic experience that I honestly wasn’t expecting coming into the album.
Early cut “LASSO” is a prime example of what VUKOVI are capable of on this album; bouncy riffs, lyrics that are delivered with moxie, and ferociously catchy choruses. As a single, this was an effortless track to pick up as a favorite, but it’s truly excellent within the context of NULA. With such a robust opening stretch, I was assured that the rest of this project would follow suit. “QUENCH” marches on with similar grooves curated to perfection, almost to the point where it feels like the album needs a break in its pacing. Just as the thought even crossed my mind, the abrupt pause featured on this track hit and reset my focus. It is nearly impossible to get sidetracked or bored listening to the first half of NULA, and that’s what made it so painless to come back and listen to it multiple times.
Further, mid-album rager “I EXIST” is not just a standout track on this record, but one on VUKOVI’s entire discography. It’s emotionally driven with its lyrics, but its upbeat melodies and tempo make you feel like driving down a highway at dangerous speeds. By all means, “I EXIST” serves as the ideal climax to this project. An interlude of sorts did feel necessary with “ATTENTION” after so much chaos. Unfortunately, what I was sure was just a segue into the second part of this series felt more like an extended conclusion to a novel.
For the most part, all I could think about when listening to “SHADOW” was that it was a decent filler track, but very little more. Although I would certainly listen to this song willingly, it feels like the bar is set so high on this album, and the duo need to bring something totally fresh to the table in order to stack up to those lofty expectations set prior, and I unfortunately carry this sentiment pretty much until the end of the record. There are moments in the back half where I can more directly identify the strengths of the first half within it, but for some reason or another fall relatively flat in comparison. This is no more evident than on “HADES”, which, while featuring a phenomenal chorus, simply does not carry the same weight and effect that earlier highlights “LASSO” or “I EXIST” do.
The simplest solution I could offer to rectify this would be to reorder the tracklist in order to allow NULA‘s flow to be more conducive of a more considered album experience. If some songs at the end were pulled more towards the beginning, this project’s pacing may have felt a bit more balanced, but is instead feeling rather slanted toward the first half. The issue that could arise with this, however, is that NULA seems to be more of a concept record, and doing this could potentially obscure the message that VUKOVI wants their audience to understand. Thus, it seems the record’s flow may be intrinsically hampered due to its heightened conceptual nature, which, despite the admittedly valiant effort from the band to forge a concept record, I believe actively detriments the album experience.
Regardless of its flaws, NULA remains one of the more intriguing projects to come from the second half of this year, and is sure to receive high praise purely for its unequivocal creativity. It’s possible that with time, the record’s lower points will grow to become some of my favorites, as I truly never disliked them to begin with, but as they stand, they bring down the quality of the record by more than I’d like to admit. Even still, however, it’s clear that NULA‘s highs far outweigh its lows, and as a result craft a record that is an incredibly fun listen, even with its few core weaknesses.
7.5/10
NULA is out this Friday via LAB Records and can be pre-ordered here.