A few days ago, Calgary band Viet Cong shared the second single off their highly anticipated upcoming self-titled LP. Former single “Continental Shelf” easily made it into our Favorite Tracks of 2014 list and “Silhouettes” continues to take their melodious and energetic lo-fi post-punk to heights few bands are able to reach. Like the music of Flegel and Wallace’s former band Women, or Viet Cong’s great debut Cassette, “Silhouette” never outwears its welcome, and I find myself keep hitting the repeat button over and over again. But Viet Cong is in no way simply an “ex-Women” band; members Munro and Christiansen adds plenty to the bands penetrating sound that manages to combine a sort of visceral, urban energy with infectious and intuitive riffs. The band’s sound is very much rooted in early Factory Record releases, in particular Joy Division, but it’s also very much the sound of a band toying with textures, arrangements and pushing a drained genre into interesting directions.
