VHS Or Beta have always had the feel of plucky underdogs about them. Their 2004 debut, Night On Fire, was a near-perfect revival of moody ’80s new wave pop, but unfortunately for them a certain album called Hot Fuss came out that same year. Thus The Killers’ became the world’s premier skinny tie rockers, and VHS Or Beta found themselves stuck in support slots – opening for Duran Duran is cool and everything, but it’s not the same as your own arena show. Their next album, Bring On The Comets, highlighted the rock elements in their sound, and while it was a sharp collection of songs, it once again failed to set the world on fire. Refusing to let the world or Brandon Flowers get them down, VHS Or Beta are back with another very solid album that will, once again, probably not get the attention it deserves.
VHS Or Beta is a duo these days, and Diamonds And Death sounds like the work of a drastically slimmed-down band. Sound-wise, it’s their most explicitly electronic album, containing the kind of stripped-back, Daft Punk-like disco and electro of the earliest VHS Or Beta singles. And whether this approach is a matter of necessity or design, it suits them. Opener Breaking Bones begins with an infectious rhythm before adding Pfunder’s melancholy vocals and a few traces of synth embellishment, and most of the album’s tracks follow this same formula. All Summer In A Day is shimmering pop, and I Found A Reason makes the Duran Duran influence even more explicit. “They deserved better” may well be inscribed on VHS Or Beta’s tombstone, but in its own low-key way, this is an extremely enjoyable album.
BY ALASDAIR DUNCAN
Best Track: All Summer In A Day
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: VAN SHE, HOT HOT HEAT, PNAU
In A Word: Shimmery
