Track 1 - "Taking Solace"

oh this feels like a misty, bright spring morning! i feel like i'm waking up. a swirling soundscape of an opener. i love the heartbeat noise being there in the mix :) i can't wait for the rest

Track 2 - "For The Moment"

i've been listening to this ever since they dropped it as a single, but suddenly it just feels so fresh again in the context of there being other music to surround it....i love how shimmery and comforting it feels... the bass is great as usual, they always kill it on their instrumentation. my heart is so full listening to this song!!!

this feels like a love letter from artist to fan, but on a very human level, looking past parasocial dynamics

i love the little outro synth too :)

Track 3 - "More Than Now (ft. MUNYA)"

YAY THEY BROUGHT BACK MUNYA!!!! I love her vocals!!!

this is such a relaxing song. i feel so at peace listening to this. im also very happy to report that i can understand the french in this song (yippee!!!!!) i feel very accomplished with that teehee

i love josh bringing more of his piano playing to their music...i've been craving it after hearing his piano with the Something Specials tunes he's been doing apart from Vansire, so i'm awfully chuffed it's on Taking Solace so far

Track 4 - "North American Scene"

oh the airy vocals call back to earlier stuff pre-Modern Western World. i LOVE the mix of jazzy chords and jocular synths here.

WHY WAS THIS TRACK SO SHORT :( MORE PLEASE

Track 5 - "Love That You Try (ft. BERU)"

YES. MORE PIANO. THANK YOU

woah i wasn't expecting spanish lyrics!! but i love them! this is so beautiful. i'm just reflecting on the progression of their music so far....this stuff sounds so different from their first few releases but it is still all so them....i love seeing how their sound has evolved and changed, i can hear the happiness and passion they put into their craft and though i am unapologetically a huge fan of their early work i really love this new direction they're going in. where their early stuff felt dreamy and hazy this feels grounded and happy and self-reflective and it feels like when you realize you're growing and changing in positive ways? idk? maybe this is just me because their music has been a soundtrack for a solid chunk of my life

Track 6 - "80s KANGOL (ft. WiFiGawd)"

we opening STRONG with the synths

i am not a big fan of rap but i like that he has a softness to his flow and voice :) i prefer to listen to songs without explicit lyrics so this prolly won't go in rotation but i still love the background synths and appreciate how Vansire work with such a diverse array of other artists on their projects! it's such a treat to experience

Track 7 - "Stopped at the Light"

immediately within the first 3 seconds i can tell this will be a favourite. the guitar. the bass. this is peak vansire to me. still carries over their dream pop roots whilst also exploring the new sounds they're progressing into. i love this one.

(synth solo! hooray!)

also WHY is this track just 1:44????

Track 8 - "Whole Summer Solstice"

oh this is something theyve never done before with guitars. it feels so warm. this is also going to be a favourite already. i feel like im standing in front of a big window in a warm sunlit house

also i like that there's a similar melodic motif to "For The Moment"! this album is super cohesive so far

i will admit i was afraid they were going to entirely estrange themselves from the dreaminess of their sound, but this feels like a hug to my heart. i am reassured that they are still very much putting the reflective haze into their music

Track 9 - "Rinkside"

oh this feels 80s right off the hop. and as an 80s music enjoyer i am enthused about this

maybe it could also be 70s

oh yep there's a clavinet. i love this sound. vintage but also fresh

Track 10 - "Atmospheric River (feat. Eliza McLamb)"

another one i've been listening to since they dropped it as a single! besides the fact that eliza mclamb writes great substack posts, she has a very calm, gentle voice. i wanna check out her stuff now

i like the almost biblical imagery in this song. i think there are definitely some noah's ark references in here heheh

also "have you heard the news" activated me like a sleeper agent when i heard it for the first time (josh (the main singer) released a joke song earlier this year titled this)

Track 11 - "Inside Loop (ft. PawPaw Rod)"

yoooooooo we synthing it up in here

i am definitely detecting some older music influences, this one feels infused with some older funk and soul! i also love the guest artist's voice, it feels perfectly complementary to vansire's style.

i also like the interesting chord choices to close out the chorus. as someone tired of banal music i like hearing something unexpected

ooh just when i thought it was over there was more! talk about unexpected

i really like how relaxing this album is so far. i am so going to be putting this on during my daily tasks and life in general

Track 12 - "CHIPSDOTCOM.com (ft. Luke Null)"

immediately i am DYING at this track

"WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW dot CHIPS dot COM"

"use code VANSIRE for ONE FREE HANDFUL OF CHIPS"

"THE MEMBERS OF VANSIRE WILL NEVER DIE"

this is so something me and my best friend would make i am genuinely losing it

also i might be reading too much into it but this could also be a playful jab at the widespread nature of advertisement nowadays and how streaming services commodify music by inserting ads around songs. so they just put a built in joke ad into the album. not going to lie i feel like this track was 50% a joke and 50% done on purpose to make a point about the pointless annoyingness of ads and all similar genres of pointless annoyingness from corporations nowadays

also if you put "chipsdotcom.com" into your search bar it will send you to listen to the track on bandcamp which is just one example of why i love these guys

Track 13 - "Roseland's Interlude"

oh this is sad :( i feel like this is gonna mark a bit of a turning point in the album where the rest of the tracks are more reflective, but we'll see what happens

Track 14 - "Birdie"

immediately love the instrumentation and lyrics. this feels like a favourite already. i like that it does feel a little sadder than the previous half of the album

heavy Duster vibes on this one in terms of the instruments. but like. if Duster was Vansire. i like this a lot. i am going to be returning to this one. another favourite

i just let the ending carry me away and yeah this one's a real one

Track 15 - "The Sun Arrives (ft. FLOOR CRY)"

i love that they're bringing all their friends onto the record for this one :) also continuing a bit more of the sadder vibe as suspected. everything pre-"Roseland's Interlude" feels more upbeat and it is probably major but i am too lazy to confirm that. everything post-Roseland feels more minor and sad so far

the lyrics of this song are quite nice as well

i like the ending :) it does feel like it could go back in a happier direction??

Track 16 - "The Swallow's Cry"

YEP we're back in a happier direction! and honestly i really like this one??? they've never done violin before on any of their songs and this is really a pleasant listen, feels like i'm in the sun outside

why was it so short tho :((((((((

Track 17 - "B-Plot"

okay yep the suspected sadness is being lifted for sure. this one's got me bobbing my head. someone in the comments section on youtube said this is "Metamodernity 2" and you know what i am really agreeing with that so far. "Metamodernity" is a certified hood classic around here and this does feel like Taking Solace's version of that

wait there's SAXOPHONE!!!!!!!!!!! sick

i remember hearing isaac play his sax in concert and he was incredibly good at it. great to hear him on the record! a real treat indeed

also the lyrics feel like a bit of a nod to "Every Time Around" which was actually the first Vansire song i ever heard!

i think i'm gonna be playing this one a lot!

Track 18 - "When You're Gone"

the lyrics are INCREDIBLY strong on this one. josh is great at telling a story! i'm definitely gonna be coming back to this for the imagery

again, loving the chords/progression on this one, and LOVE that the piano has been such a big part of the record so far

this one is like a peaceful bittersweetness. i like that there's a good bit of emotional variation in the album, i am so gonna be needing these songs as my year progresses

"i'm a part time man and a full time fan that you've drawn"--i adore this line

feeling sad that the album is almost over :(

Track 19 - "Marfa TARS"

i really like the slightly jingly jangly guitar thing they have going on so far here. i think this one will be oft-listened as well (heck the whole album will be)

Taking Solace is incredibly cohesive. i really admire Vansire's ability to put together an album that feels so well-put together

also, loving the lyrics referencing earlier tracks :)

Track 20 - "Most Dogs"

i have a feeling this one is going to be a big standout for me

man this song is so beautiful. i think these lyrics are my favourite out of the entire album. i like that they continue to reference their earlier work and themes.

this one is making my soul cry like i thought it would. bright and sad and loving all at the same time. this might be my favourite ? but the whole album has been so good.....................

i love love love love this one................

ok the outro is on now and yeah this one's the favourite sorry guys. goosebumps all up and down my body. this was such a wonderful song

Track 21 - "Reflection No. 9"

the last song already how did we get here :(

i love that they continue to release new songs in the "Reflection" series, listening through all of them in order is such an interesting way to see how they've developed as artists

loving isaac's return on the saxophone :))

there's a definite jam session feel to this (reminds me of when they released The Rummer House Sessions versions of some of their songs recently)

it does feel markedly different from previous Reflections but i suppose that's what makes a Vansire Reflection a Vansire Reflection :)

i am sitting in the ending

---

wow. it's over already. this was an entire emotional journey for me

favourite tracks from first listen:

"North American Scene"

"Stopped at the Light"

"Whole Summer Solstice"

"Birdie"

"The Swallow's Cry"

"B-Plot"

"When You're Gone"

"Marfa TARS"

"Most Dogs"

but the entire album was beautiful and so necessary for me right now. I will be returning to it over and over i know it

overall thoughts: wow. this was a breath of fresh air for me. i am a die hard for their older stuff so this feels pretty different and new sonically but i quite admire that they're exploring new musical directions and collaborating with even more artists

personal subjective rating: 9.5/10 at the moment, but i can see this album growing on me even more. i have a feeling this album will become a full 10/10 for me as i sit in it and enjoy it multiple times

i cant stress enough how perfectly timed this album is for me - i am moving to one of the biggest cities in the country come fall, and this new chapter of Vansire's music will accompany me into a new chapter of my life just as their music has for the past few years. this is very full circle and meaningful to me and i hope i can see them play these songs live someday soon

wonderful work from Vansire. thank you josh and sam (& isaac and the lovely guest artists) for bringing forth a quality project where the passion and care for the music is so evident

so much love for these guys