The Vapors first appeared in the public eye with their snappy hit single, “Turning Japanese,” back in the very early eighties. The new wave English group had the whole world singing and bopping along, and over forty years later, they’re still kicking it with new music. The band celebrated their comeback with a new album in 2020, and five years later they’re finally releasing the follow-up titled Wasp In a Jar.
Delivering a surf-punk tempo, “Hit the Ground Running” is exactly what you would expect of the band. It’s bursting with energy, and the melodic foot-tapping verses builds up into a massive chorus like a time-bomb going off. For the first track of the album, it does not disappoint. “Hit the Ground Running,” is one of the early singles released in January.
Muted chords and a thudding bass kick off “The Human Race.” When the verses kick in, there’s a unifying melody on the chorus that feels like taking a lover off the dance floor and running away. “The Human Race” drives forward a sense of community. The opening lines, “This is what we came for, this is what we do. This is where our love lies, maybe yours too,” is repeated in the finale, leaving a thoughtful lasting impression. The song is a swinging punky bop that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The drum heavy love song “Forever Ever” follows next. A catchy hook makes this one easy to remember and sing along to. Idyllic beats serve as the background while the chorus stays in your head long after the song ends.
“Miss You Girl” breaks in with emotionally charged energy. Wordy and sentimental, and topping it off with clever similes such as the line “Eyes that burn like a cigarette,” “Miss You Girl” gives us yearning combined with a grief for a person of the past, a lost love perhaps or old friend. The bass stands apart, thumping out a penetrating rhythm while muted chords turn into crunchy riffs.
Spicy riffs take us into the sharp and edgy “Decompression.” Bluesy hard licks and punchy verses kick it in high gear, sultry and cool.
“Nonstop Radio,” slams in loud and clear. Groovy and banging, the guitar blasts choppy, riveting sounds to a simple beat that can get anyone kicking up their feet. A suspenseful solo collides near the end, throwing greasy licks over the finale. A mix of nostalgia and punk rock make this one a good, solid jam.
Acoustic melodies lead into “Nothing Can Stop Us,” a tragically messy love song. It’s full of youth and hurt and endearment all at once, a song of torment. A lilting twang stands out on the chorus and the acoustic rhythms make way to choppy chords and a distorted ending. Lyrically and musically, this song feels fearless and hopeful, and a befitting solo ties into the ending effortlessly.
“The Words” is a fast-spinning track that’s all over the place. Fun and easy, if the last song had messy undertones of tormented love, this one resolves it with a simple head over heels fix. Low bass kicks in with a pulsing beat, and a cowbell rings in the background, so subtle it’s easy to miss.
Warm instrumentals welcome listeners into “Look Away Now,” a cozy ballad. Slow and balanced, “Look Away Now,” shows a moment of vulnerability for The Vapors. Dreamy and uncertain, there’s a hopeful feeling of romance, and every beat and slam of the guitar reflects this with pensive riffs while the vocals sing of hopeful what-ifs.
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“Idiot Creature,” gives us a taste of adventurous sci-fi in the form of a punk rock song. Chocked with high-energy and stomping beats, “Idiot Creature,” sounds like the theme song for an early Saturday morning cartoon or a monstrous comic book. It’s a thrill ride from start to finish, a nice escape from the heaviness along with sounding like a riveting blast from the past.
Slower but no less enticing, is the humble power track, “It Gets Better.” A somber chord progression leads us into the song, and as the first verse progresses, the drums kick in steady and slow. The chorus lifts up the mood, giving an empowering message of hope as the title suggests while the full sound throttles in, pumping up the pace. That feeling of sentimental desperation lingers in the music, never fully disappearing as the song rages on.
“Proud” gives off vulnerability and that wistful feeling of looking back after having grown up. It asks the question, “Would I make you proud?” However, the song is backed by an upbeat bluesy melody that keeps from feeling somber or too heavy.
“Together Again,” concludes the album with a range of instrumentals such as a tambourine shake and a slick, tangy riff that’s ever-present in so much of the band’s work. The message is there: while time passes by, and the world changes, “we’ll all be together again.” It’s hard not to feel like this song is alluding to the band’s reunion, but like any great piece of art, the interpretation could be so many things. Whatever the meaning, the rhythm, beats and harmonies make this nine-minute song a jam. Halfway through, the music fades as the chants ring out the chorus into a seeming oblivion. There’s a long anticipation full of silence before the music returns, as a seemingly different song. The previous track, “Proud” returns to finish the second part of the finale.
Wasp In A Jar delivers that classic Vapors sound fans love and expect, a surf-punk record in the age of social media and reality tv. It’s nothing we haven’t heard before, and instead of trying to be brand new, Wasp In A Jar welcomes fans new and old to the band’s characteristic style. It’s not a rebrand, but a continuation.
I’m Music Magazine Writer Alice Kearney
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