Vigilantes of Love

Item: V.O.L.
Author: Bob Melvin

V.O.L.

(1996)

Reviewed by Bob Melvin

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Warner ResoundThe LighthouseDecember 1996

alternative country americana folk rock roots rock

V.O.L., the Vigilantes' major-label debut, will for long-time fans serve as a forward-looking retrospective: this, the band's sixth album, combines four new tracks with 12 others pulled from four previous albums. For others, it will be a thorough introduction. The previous albums, most notably 1994's Welcome To Struggleville and 1995's Blister Soul, have garnered a good bit of critical acclaim for singer/guitarist/songwriter Bill Mallonee and his rotating cast of thousands (the band's lineup has never been the same for any two albums in a row). Mallonee's literate, thoughtful songwriting style has attracted such luminaries as R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, who co-produced the Vigilantes' Killing Floor and parts of Jugular.

But what about the music? All name-dropping aside, Vigilantes' Southern-tinged folk-induced rock is heady stuff. Art and literature references abound, from Martin Luther to the work of the Rev. Howard Finster, a Georgia folk artist. Mallonee dips liberally into the well of Biblical imagery for "Struggleville," a song inspired by Edward Knippers' painting "The Prize," which depicts Salome with the head of John the Baptist:

All is quiet on the Western front, there appears to be a lull John and Jane Doe are sleeping well tonight with the little thoughts inside their skulls Salome she's undressed to the nines although a few pounds fatter She's got Pavlov's bells on her ankles and wrists, she's coming at you with her platter... They are building a new gallows for when You show up on the street Polishing the electric chair, they're gonna give You a front row seat Heard a sneer outside the garden, salutation so well-heeled: "Welcome all you suckers to Struggleville"

Included in the lyrics for this song, but not actually on the recording, is this sentiment:

In the hole from the beginning Wherever Truth shows up it'll go on the chopping block

Other highlights include "Skin," which aside from analyzing the relational and social ethics of the story of Vincent Van Gogh, is absolutely one of the most gorgeous songs I have ever heard. "Double Cure," one of the new songs on the album, could have come directly out of a modern hymnal, and "Who Knows When The Sunrise Will Be" addresses the heart of societal ills-the "savage disorder" of man.

Mallonee's utter lack of pretension, when combined with his learned muse, makes him at once accessible and utterly listenable. Hopefully, with V.O.L., the rest of the America that he sings so passionately about will come around. However, "When I'm Broken (See What Happens)," another new track from the album, smartly suggests that perhaps that's not what the Vigilantes are looking for after all:

Gotta stay clear of the star-on machine All that venom and bile, a-ventin' one's spleen Oh, yeah, you know what I mean Throw us all in a van and see if we care A little beat up, worse for the wear Oh yeah, see how we tear...

We'll see what happens.