Vatican Vamps
Yggdrasil
Independent
3.5 out of 5 stars
In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is the tree of life, which binds together all nine worlds of the universe. The immense tree serves as a place of great spirituality, where the gods frequently visit to meditate. In their new EP of the same name, Vatican Vamps aims to capture the essence of this spirituality and use it to mold a positive and hopeful energy from their emotional and introspective lyrics. The result is rock and roll at its indie-est — a soulful display of high-flying harmonies, crunchy guitars and disco-era bass lines, all driven by the sheer power of front man Nat Lort-Nelson’s voice. Though there are a few moments that feel just a little too familiar (“12 Parsecs”), there are just as many moments that feel fresh and beautiful (the spoken outro of “Tir Na Nog”). – JD Rodgers
hi-dive | February 21
