"Every man will lose a battle at some point, it's true/
But if he doesn't lose himself, then he can make it through"
Vista Blue is certainly one of the most prolific bands in the indie/punk universe, but it very rarely releases full-length albums. So when we
do get a long-playing release from Vista Blue, that counts as a special occasion. In the case of new album
Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, that occasion is the band's tenth anniversary. Indeed it was ten years ago tomorrow that VB released
Good Eye, its debut EP. Since then, the band has amassed a catalog that I would rate as impressive as any in the modern-day pop-punk world. Rodney Bingenheimer (the Grady Hunt of underground music) has championed the band on his radio show, and I'm not sure I'd even be doing this blog anymore if I weren't able to look forward to reviewing these guys 5.8 times per year.
As you may have deduced from the title, Clear Eyes, Full Hearts is inspired by the acclaimed American television program Friday Night Lights (specifically the show's first season). The fact that Vista Blue wrote a full album about a TV show adapted from a movie adapted from one of the greatest non-fiction books ever written is very much on-brand. The band's last album, Stay Gold, was an homage to the novel (and movie) The Outsiders. Creating your own art about someone else's art is a very cool thing in my book. If someone asked me why I like Vista Blue so much, I'd probably say it's because they're pop culture geeks just like I am. If you're a fan of this band and have never seen Friday Night Lights, that should in no way discourage you from buying Clear Eyes, Full Hearts. Just be warned that it will make want to watch the show, so be prepared to make some time for a binge.
What I love about Vista Blue is that you never know what you're going to get even though you always know what you're going to get. The band never strays too far from its signature style of pop-punk steeped in power pop and indie pop influences, but it always offsets its fastballs with plenty of curves and change-ups (I acknowledge that mixing my sports metaphors will get me two minutes in the penalty box). Over the course of a full-length album especially, it becomes clear what a wonderfully talented (and in my estimation, criminally underrated) songwriter Mike is. The band comes out swinging with "Can't Lose," which references the inspirational words of Coach Taylor but could just as easily be applied to our own lives. Songs like "She Doesn't Wanna Be Your Rally Girl," "Everybody Loves Football," and "Alamo Freeze" find Vista Blue running plays that have been proven to work time and time again. Elsewhere, the playbook opens up with the aggressive, minimalist punk of "Texas Forever" and "Grady Hunt's List," the quasi-instrumental rally anthem "Go, Panthers!", and the anthemic power pop of "State." And of course there's a VB-style arrangement of "Devil Town" to wrap it all up.
While it thankfully lacks the lofty pretensions of a rock opera, Clear Eyes, Full Hearts definitely captures the spirit of the television series that inspired it. Whether you aspire to go to State or just need a little motivation to get through your day, this album has something to offer you. I can't listen to lyrics like "Some people wrote us off as easy to eliminate/But clear eyes and full hearts are things that they just can't evaluate" and not think that they also apply to Vista Blue on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. It would be goofy for me, in reference to a band I've reviewed 53 times, to say this album was better than I thought it would be. But it's certainly one of the best things Vista Blue has ever put out. I would highly recommend cranking it loudly in the car as you head out to grab some milkshakes or catch Crucifictorious's next gig. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!
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