Though the band is not doing anything that the typical punk rock fan wouldn’t have heard dozens of times before, there’s definite energy and excitement in the four rowdy songs featured on Finnish group Van Dammes’ debut EP. Opening track “(Let’s) Go” kicks the album into high gear immediately, with the sort of singalong punk one would expect from The Ramones, while follow-up track “Daniel” blends Misfits-like chord progression with the type of sparkling and grandiose chorus Danzig would never have pulled out of the hat.
“Lisbon, I Promise You” is an ode to the European capital, boasting nifty harmonic backing vocals during a chorus ripped straight out of late '70s punk, and the final track “Sexy Apartment” has a sleazy sound more rooted in the excess of the ‘80s. Though it changes up the mood considerably, I’m not sure this louder but more deliberate last track is a fitting conclusion to an EP that positively rip-roars through its first three tunes. Regardless, it’d be difficult not to dig into this catchy material. Clocking in at barely eight minutes, I might have liked The VD EP to be longer but it’s worth checking out.
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