Vain | Enough Rope

Tweet

by Mark Allen
Staff Writer —

Look up the definition of “cult classic” in the sleaze-glam dictionary (not yet available for Kindle) and you will probably find a picture of Vain’s 1989 debut, No Respect. Unlike the title insinuation, the album actually garnered tons of respect and while that respect never translated into mainstream success for Davy Vain and the band that bears his name, there are legions of hair-metal fans out there who rate the album highly. The fact that the album is still being cranked up and talked about two decades later instead of being relegated to dusty pawn shop bargain bins testifies to its enduring quality. And while Vain has continued to release albums ever since, nothing has ever quite compared to No Respect.

Until now.

Enough Rope picks up precisely where No Respect left off, providing that album with a worthy successor at last. Matter of fact, by dialing back the glam trappings and opting for a more hard rock-oriented approach, this album actually surpasses the debut. Yes, you read that right—surpasses. An angry mob of hair-metal militants is probably sharpening their knives right now with the intent to engage in some reviewer throat-cutting in retaliation for such a blasphemous declaration, but fear of an esophageal slit should never be a reason to silence the truth and simply put, Enough Rope is the best album Vain has ever released.

The band’s strength and trademark has always been the captivating vocals of Davy Vain and the passage of time has not stolen his strange, hypnotic power. The man is blessed with one of the most unique voices in hard rock, eschewing a one-dimensional approach in favor of a multifaceted singing style. This is the voice of a man who could croon sultry sweetness in a girl’s ears until her every article of clothing is lying in a puddle around her ankles, then turn on a dime and snarl into the face of the girl’s bewildered boyfriend with fangs-bared ferocity, before switching gears yet again and using a tender timbre to soothe the guy’s wounded ego.

The album also serves as a showcase for Vain’s superb songwriting skills, with sharp, catchy tunes that nimbly avoid a formulaic rut like a surefooted steed dancing around a coiled rattler. The band always shoots for something just a little bit different, the hooks popping off in unexpected directions without jumping the shark. This is all backed by production that is both stripped back and powerful and engineering that is crisp and clean while retaining a gritty rock edge.

The songs cleave closely to the late ‘80s style of the debut like wet lace clinging to sweat-slick skin, with all the pounding rhythms, dueling guitar leads, and red hot licks you could ask for. And this throwback retro mentality extends to the subject matter as well. Vain is quite capable of writing deep, mature, topical lyrics, but Enough Rope is a straight-up hard-edged sleaze album and the sometimes juvenile, lowest common denominator lyrical themes reflect that. But when you’re banging your head to the tasty riff of “Triple X” or purring contentedly to the foot-tapping tune of “Stray Kitten Burns,” do you really care that the lyrics lean toward the lowbrow? Leave the life-pondering questions to the proggy crowd and let the sleaze-metal merchants revel in their simplistic, sex-drugs-rock-‘n’-roll debauchery.

Those who have been waiting two-plus decades for a proper follow-up to No Respect will find their wait has not been in vain, pun fully intended. The hard rock-meets-glam sound suits these guys very well, so if you pick up a copy of Enough Rope, you certainly won’t want to hang yourself with regret later.

Genre: Hard Rock

Band:
Davy Vain (vocals, guitar)
Jamie Scott (guitar)
Danny West (guitar)
Ashley Mitchell (bass)
Tommy Rickard (drums)

Track Listing
1. Greener
2. Triple X
3. Hot Stage Lights
4. Stray Kitten Burns
5. Cindy
6. Treasure Girl
7. Enough Rope
8. Solid Gold
9. Distance of Love
10. Vain
11. Worship You

Webpage: www.davyvain.com

Label: Jackie Rainbow Records

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.6/10