Brooklyn’s Bootblacks’ is all about the goth and they do it well. The band’s latest album is all about post-punk inspired tunes that leave you wanting to dance and more. The entire forty some minute album is a decent listen for old and new post-punk fans alike.
Bootblacks brings goth back into style and revives 80’s post punk, with a fresh delivery of synth laden melodies. Veins is the passion of the past mixed with the tastes of the future. That said, a lot of the songs, aren’t particularly inspired sounding, but particularly catchy, and that’s really what makes Veins so enchanting. From start to finish, you’ll find yourself dancing to gloomy tunes that just seem to rub you just the right way. It’s weird to think about, emotionally dark songs being catchy, danceable, and just playing enjoyable in a very optimistic way –but if you consider a song like, “Southpole,” it all makes sense. “Southpole,” is driven by a quick rhythm, fleshed out with haunting guitar riffs and strong backing synth work. Mix in a little intense chorus and it all works out.
As previously mentioned, Bootblacks’ Veins isn’t always a particularly unique album. Some of it is very indigestibly typical. Still, this may be a matter of opinion, and maybe the stylistic abilities of the band, to carry a more optimistic atmosphere but deliver some strong emotional sounding content, is the interesting twist the music needs. On the other hand, maybe Veins’ approach to mixing up the status quo and creating such accessible punk-tunes is also worth taking as criticism. For instance, the attention grabbing nature of, “Past Lives” doesn’t work as well. Ultimately, it seems as if how much you enjoy Veins will be based purely in your personal approach. This isn’t music you can just put on and mellow out, but it doesn’t seem to be worth the effort to dissect.
Veins is ultimately a very accessible and still very enjoyable listen. It’s danceable and poppy enough to appeal to the mainstream, and for the outliers seeking the more esoteric, the album has enough atmosphere to at the very least stay listenable. From start to finish the album really holds up.
Good or bad, Veins is a really neat twist on something that was getting old, and while sometimes that gets to be a bit much, the album still holds up as an extremely accessible piece of modern post-punk. Just about every song is enjoyable and there’s something for everyone. If you’re looking to just dabble in the void, not get sucked in but just dip your toes; if you want to spend a lot of time dancing like a goth kid at prom; if you want to combat the changing seasons –give Bootblacks’ Veins a chance.
Rating: 7.5/10
