Glasvegas
Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\
(Columbia Records)

Highly touted by popular music blogger Ultragrrrl as the next big thing, Glasvegas sure has a lot of hype to deal with. The band’s first self-titled album put them on the map, but then a lack of touring took them right off. The band’s latest release, Euphoric /// Heartbreak \\\, looks set to put the band back on the map – and then some!

Glasvegas follows the gospel of good beats, great lyrics and a touch of 1980’s music. “Shine Like Stars” is a song that sounds straight out of the 1980’s, but with a newer, indie rock sentiment. A third of the way through the song, the song drops the 80’s feel and instead begins to sound more like a passionate, drum-based song. Drums really help to define this album. “Euphoria, Take My Hand” has a similar feeling with strong drums, drawling lyrics and a touch of Devo. When the guitars break in early in the track, something takes over and you can see why this band receives so much hype: it is because they deserve it.

The album’s strongest track is “You,” which not only features the trademark pounding drums that the band defines so elegantly throughout the album, but also combines emotional vocals. You feel for the singer as he belts “you, you, you” over and over again.

Overall, you’ll certainly want to pick up this album. While it might not land at the top of many Best of the Year list, it certainly is likely to land on numerous “Next Best Thing” lists.