This Limerick five-piece ply epic rock in the vein of Muse’s Showbiz. If there was nothing more to it, then I’d have removed the record from the CD player after a couple of listens and consigned it to the bottom of the pile at the back of the drawer in the room at the other end of the house. Thing is, I can’t get the sodding thing off my stereo. I like it that much.
Why is it that, both in their current incarnation and in their previous life as The Sutras, they have built a reputation as one of the most interesting of the new breed of bands from outside Dublin? Well, to cut a potentially long story short, Vesta Varro have the knack of assembling rousing, high-calibre songs that effortlessly toy with the listener’s emotions. Check ‘Coming Back’, ‘I Agree’ and ‘Babies’ for evidence: all have a depth charge that is impossible to resist.
With Crowded House’s Nick Seymour in the producer's chair, their epic sound hasn’t been sterilised with glossy overproduction. Damien Drea’s vocals are showcased to powerful effect. There's also a great deal of variety: Vesta Varro are dab hands at both foundation-quaking rockers and creepy-quiet ballads.
In its own peculiar way, then, Exit Here is just about perfect. Now go away: I want to play it again...