When a band with 50+ releases to its name puts out a second odds-and-ends compilation, that definitely falls into the "for fans only" category. Perfect! I'm a huge Vista Blue fan -- and clearly you are too if you read past this sentence (Hey there, Nick Spoon!). Pieces II is a sequel to 2019's Pieces, a digital collection of songs that had not been previously released on Vista Blue's Bandcamp. Pieces II collects songs the band has recorded over the last three years. Some are collaborations with podcasts. Others were recorded for compilations. Some are alternate versions of previously released songs. Pieces II combines them all into a single digital album complete with liner notes. This is a real treat for fans. And isn't that the whole point?
What I enjoy about Pieces II is that is captures the spirit of what Vista Blue is all about. What other band on Earth would record theme songs for a prank call podcast and a Twilight podcast? What other band on earth would record an entire EP of songs about sumo wrestling to reward a Kickstarter backer? But this is no joke release. There are some absolute gems to be found here. "I Keep Hitting on Girls (They Just Keep on Hitting Me)" and "I Met Her at a Blockbuster", which were both originally written for Mike's old band The Robinsons, are A+ pop-punk tracks. "Three Chord City", a cover of The Cold's classic, is a cool live take from the legendary Ardent Studio in Memphis (the "produced" version, of course, ended up on the band's splendid EP Hit The Floor). An acoustic version of "Curling All Around the USA" (remember when these guys singlehandedly willed the U.S. to win curling gold?) showcases this band's special flair for melody and harmonies. And anyone who dismisses Vista Blue's collaborations with the Snow Plow Show podcast will miss out on "Beverly," one of its best pop-punk tracks of recent memory.
It's something else how Vista Blue can release so much music yet still keep us fans excited for what's coming next. And that's because you never know what this band is going to write songs about. Pieces II really highlights that. If you get bored with pop-punk bands who only write songs about girls, well here's an album with songs about prank phone calls, sumo wrestling, emo vampires, curling, Nik Caesar's Twitch stream, the birth of the messiah, and....girls. I also like that the liner notes make it very easy for you to seek out the releases on which many of these songs originally appeared. Maybe I'm just riding the high of the Phillies getting back to .500 or subconsciously plotting how my own podcast can collaborate with Vista Blue. But my morning spent listening to Pieces II has had me feeling good. I'm on my last paragraph, so we're all fans here. There's just no reason not to buy this album. It's that rare sequel that's better than the original!
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