Wasp in a Jar by The Vapors (Vapors Own Records)

The Vapors
Wasp in a Jar
Vapors Own Records

Like starting up a piece of machinery after being neatly tucked away, guitars immediately chug along and drums rattle in tempo. All of this revs up into something innovative and album that The Vapors so classically nurtures. Each member confidently contributes to provide permanence through songwriting that caters to today, tomorrow, and anytime in between.

Although “Hit the Ground Running” was the last song to be recorded, it’s the perfect opener for this album, the band’s fourth in four decades. We immediately feel The Vapors’s grounding where age is only a number. And suddenly, Wasp in a Jar feels more lively, more concrete and dimensionally viable.

The songs within are simple, intelligent, sincere, and slightly cheeky (as you would expect) with every expectation you come to experience from this band. Enhancing pop through the lens of a punk ethos, there is something universal to the vibrancy of The Vapors. A song like “Carry On,” gives their perspective on the current climate without being abrasive while “The Human Race” may feel like branding for the band when it’s a branding for all of us.

I thoroughly enjoy the passion in “Miss You Girl.” The driving rhythms acting like a locomotive to
Dave Fenton’s vocals are pure punk-like bliss. Power chords barrel through. It’s a song that could easily be converted to a ‘60s pop power ballad as The Vapors adds some muscle to its momentum.

Then “Decompression” feels more Sunset Strip with textbook Beatles-esque pop strategy than jagged edges and joyrides. Fenton’s words only illuminate a comfort to what feels like social anxiety.

“Together Again” ends the album like a Byrds homage as the guitars shimmer with ‘60s psychedelic decadence. This song feels the most personal, giving us hope and confidence that their foundation is rooted through progression. The mantra of Wasp in a Jar is positivity through human fallibility. The buildup and mass touring schedule that takes them around the world over again has defined this band’s talent. The result is a collection of songs filled with all kinds of possibilities where you can look deep between the notes.

Their musical career may have been a rollercoaster ride with a long hiatus, but Wasp in a Jar is proof of The Vapors’s longevity through deep connection to the commitment of creativity and themselves.