Vacation Bible School, Unlucky

Vacation Bible School makes nihilism sound fun. For whatever reason, the best (and the happiest) songs are the ones about life being meaningless. On their Unlucky EP, they sing about other subjects, but nihilism inspires their best work.

They like to make statements like, “It doesn’t matter cause we’re all going to die” (“Back of the Bus”), but then they temper it with “someday,” which makes it feel less depressing and more human. The singer’s style is also excited enough that he doesn’t sound like he’s unhappy, and he’s not. Or at least not about the big questions — the darkest songs here are about people, not philosophy.

The songs are mostly good songs, with a few really bad ones thrown in. “St. Petersburg,” with its overly busy melody and swing-y bridge, is one of the worst songs I’ve heard in a while. Most of the songs here are good, however — “Back of the Bus” and “Song to Kill Yourself To” are the nihilistic keepers here, with the catchiest melodies and efficient arrangements.

Vacation Bible School has a lot of potential. They have their own sort of style — the closest touchstone would be the snottiness and catchiness of Screeching Weasel, but they have their own distinct way of doing things. And as long as they do a little more weeding out of their songs, they should have plenty more good ones.