How amazing would it be if the best album of 2025 were to be released by a band that first formed nearly five decades ago? It just might happen! Wasp in a Jar is The Vapors' fourth album and their second since they reformed in 2106 after thirty-plus years of inactivity. While 2020's Together was nothing short of a triumphant return, Wasp in a Jar feels even more like vintage Vapors due to its mix of social/political commentary and deeply personal reflections. Perhaps it's stating the obvious that Wasp in a Jar "sounds like The Vapors," but that was exactly my first impression. Other than the fact that David Fenton is 45 years older and sounds like it (as he should), there's little about Wasp in a Jar that's dramatically different from 1980's New Clear Days. This is a brilliant punk-influenced power pop album that finds this venerable band rivaling the best of power pop's present-day standouts. And while Fenton and bassist Steve Smith are the only original members left, Michael Bowes on drums and Fenton's son Dan on lead guitar are formidable players in their own right who more than live up to the standard of their predecessors. I've always put David Fenton in the top tier of the finest songwriters from the new wave generation. His ability to craft thoughtful, clever pop songs and infuse them with irresistible hooks is a rare gift. He is, as the kids say, one of one. It's truly remarkable that after not releasing music for nearly four decades, he has been able to pick back up like he never stopped. And his musical chemistry with his bandmate Smith remains something quite remarkable.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Wasp in a Jar was recorded and produced in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (practically in my back yard!) by Michael Giblin of The Split Squad. Working with a producer who fully "gets" what the band is about was a great move for The Vapors — who financed the album with help from fans. Wasp in a Jar follows the artistic success of Together with an even stronger, more fully realized collection of songs. Sometimes with these old-timer bands, we consider it a moral victory if their new music simply doesn't tarnish their legacy. But these last two albums have found The Vapors not diminishing their legacy but rather building on it. Even if you knew nothing of this band's '80s output, you would listen to Wasp in a Jar and think, "What a great album!" Never interested in operating as a nostalgia act, these 21st century Vapors continue to make fresh, meaningful music of the highest quality. Over the course of 14 (or 15) tracks, this album finds David Fenton reflecting on life, love, and the state of the world — with the pandemic being a topic of particular emphasis. As a songwriter, you're going to have a very different perspective in your late 60s & early 70s than you did in your 20s, and these songs reflect that. Here David Fenton writes and sings from the point of view of someone who's experienced and learned a lot. This makes love songs like "Forever and Ever" and "It Gets Better" all the more powerful. If early '80s David Fenton was a young man who was wise beyond his years, the current version is an elder statesman who remains young at heart.
It's hard to single out standout tracks on a record that's practically flawless (I have the same pleasant problem with New Clear Days, which is almost certainly my favorite album of all-time). That said, it's hard to deny that opening track and lead single "Hit the Ground Running" will be a fan favorite. Right off the bat, you know which band you're listening to, and this might be the punchiest The Vapors have ever sounded on record. "Miss You Girl" is almost impossibly catchy, and it immediately takes its place along side this band's most classic tracks. "Idiot Creature," which blends raga and reggae influences, shows that even these older and wiser Vapors have plenty of punk vitriol left in them. "Carry On" is the sort of mid-album epic that has always been a Vapors hallmark. "Look Away" is pure pop and one of Fenton's most honest and heartfelt compositions. The deeply touching "Proud" and anthemic "Together Again" close out the digital version of the album in style — reminding us that above all else, The Vapors are masters of perfect pop music. In the year 2025, a Vapors album even half this good would have been more than satisfactory. But "satisfactory" was clearly not the bar the band set for itself. To all of you who put up your hard-earned money to help fund this album because you trusted that The Vapors had something special in the works, the world thanks you.
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