“An Album For the Chronically Online”: Vegas Water Taxi Debuts Second Studio Album
As music evolves, so too do genres, and we begin to see cultural and sonic blends that produce subgenres. That said, it’s quite rare to see the hybrid mix of alternative and country, but London-based band Vegas Water Taxi is here to change that.
Their latest album, long time caller, first time listener explores modern-day social media addiction and technological dependency, largely focusing on the arbitrariness of trends and “brain rot.”
The album consists of 9 songs, just under 30 minutes in total, and, to their point, the track titles all follow a cohesive theme: internet slang. Track 1, for example, is titled “brat summer,” with other notable songs such as “ozempic (celebrity weight loss anxiety blues).”
“brat summer,” for example, describes a world in which civilians unwilling to participate in trends are arrested. “Well, the cops they/ broke the door of my/ hummer/ And asked me about/ my long brat summer,” Vegas Water Taxi writes.
In the second half of the album, Vegas Water Taxi explores themes of heartache and disassociation. Taking place in a music festival/ office setting in London, the song is repetitive in its plea for acceptance and love. “So tell me you love/ me at Jamie xx/ Pull me closer and/ take me to bed/ ‘Cause I want you to/ love me, and I want/ you to care,” Vegas Water Taxi writes.
On a superficial level, the album is odd. The songs are short and repetitive, and the lyrics resemble those of TikTok comment sections.
However, in focusing so intently on the seemingly obscure digital world, Vegas Water Taxi invites listeners to reflect on their own relationship with technology.
In an interview with RollingStone UK, band leader Ben Hambro explains the relevance of his album, especially in today’s digital world.
Despite shying away from the title of “chronically online,” Harmon does admit that “My biggest fear at the minute – and there are a lot of fears – is lying on my deathbed and thinking about how much time I spent on my phone, and how much time I wasted on my phone.”
Harmon also explains that the entire album was created with the goal of dissecting human behavior.
“Things like Instagram Stories, it’s just a panopticon of knowing what everyone’s doing. I don’t think the human brain was ever designed to process that. It’s strange to think that there are people who I haven’t spoken to for years who know everything about my life,” Harmon said.
But does the album actually do everything it’s intended to? That’s up to personal interpretation.
As a first time listener (no pun intended), I admittedly struggled to connect with the album. The combination of upbeat and whimsical instrumentals mixed with seemingly arbitrary online jargon was off putting. It was only on my second listen that I was able to find understanding in the lyrics and fully dissect the music.
While the album isn’t for everyone, but I think there is a bit of everyone in this album. In a time where our lives revolve around technology, especially our phones, it’s interesting to see how artists bring these conversations into their music.
This album is rooted in social commentary and heartache. With this second studio album, long time caller, first time listener truly establishes Vegas Water Taxi as leader in the alt-country scene.
