Sunday, October 16, 2022

Vista Blue - "Victor Crowley"


It's bizarre to me that there are Christmas beers on the shelves while the Phillies are still playing baseball. Mid-October is a wonderful convergence of things I like. Summer is still in the rearview mirror. Football season is in full swing. Pumpkin spice beverages are part of my daily existence. The Hallmark Christmas movies are coming in less than a week. And yet I feel as if there has to be some order to all of this. It has occurred to me that if I don't review Vista Blue's Halloween seasonal single before I drink my first Christmas beer, the space-time continuum could be irreparably disrupted. And I don't want to be the man responsible for opening the door to worldwide chaos. On top of that, there's another Vista Blue release coming out very soon. Now is not the time for me to procrastinate! 

"Victor Crowley" is the latest release from Vista Blue, one of my favorite bands. And part of what makes Vista Blue one of my favorite bands is its tradition of releasing seasonally-themed music. These releases always give me something to look forward to. I am not a fan of horror movies. Yet I am a fan of Vista Blue songs about horror movies. I love how the band manages to condense the essence of a full-length horror flick into a two-minute pop-punk song. I have not seen Hatchet. I will most likely never see Hatchet. Yet I find myself enjoying Vista Blue's song about this film. It's basically like every Vista Blue song: upbeat sing-along pop-punk with a touch of keyboards. The difference is that most Vista Blue songs aren't about vengeful ghosts chasing and slaughtering people. But that's the fundamental joy of this band: it can turn any subject matter into an irresistibly uplifting musical experience. I also love how this song shows sympathy for the monstrous horror villain. On the virtual flip side, "Boy Beast" is an homage to Friday the 13th Part 2. In a completely un-ironic way, I can describe this tune as a real toe-tapper. It's also an earworm. Has there ever been a horror movie about an actual earworm? 

While I'm never against a little Christmas creeping, let us remember the true reason for this season: candy and horror. Vista Blue, as usual, has got us covered. Now I can crack open that bottle of The Made Elf without guilt.

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