I’ve been coping with the cancellation of SXSW with a series of posts on bands I was excited to see at The SXSW That Never Was. One of the first artists that was cemented into my playlists (and one that I covered a few weeks back in the series) is an indie-rock band out of Edinburgh called Vistas.

They have a sound that is tough to label, but I can hear influences from a number of different bands that I also love like Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks, The Wombats, and maybe even some of The Strokes. The timing of their announcement was in the wake of 2019’s Hello - EP, which allowed me to get in on the ground floor as they prepared for their debut album in 2020.

With each subsequent single released, the anticipation built for their debut. From “Teenage Blues” to “Summer,” each song is anthemic in its own right, while remaining distinctly different. They hook you immediately with their uplifting melodies and electric energy.

The wait finally ended last Friday when they finally released Everything Changes in the End. I’ve probably listened to the album in its entirety at least a dozen times since then. There was enough material to write about this momentous debut by Friday morning for me, but I wanted to just enjoy the release and let it marinate a bit longer.

The album boasts an inherent addictive quality. I find myself surprised every time I finish the last track, and I have to put it back on repeat. I know that once my vinyl arrives in the mail, it will get some significant needle time. As far as musical comparisons for me are concerned, the debut lands somewhere between The Kooks’ Inside In/Inside Out and The Wombats’ A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation. That should be reason enough for your investment.

It seems that very few albums these days possess a constant tone that is uplifting and positive. With everything going on in the world today, Everything Changes in the End couldn’t have dropped at a better time.

I was definitely bummed when I found out I wouldn’t be seeing them at SXSW, but with a debut album as impressive as this, I know they’re going to be sticking around for a long time. We’ll do our best to spread the word everywhere else, but Everything Changes in the End is going to be a smash in the U.K. The record has already hit #21 there, and I think it will continue to rise.

Until you lads make the trip across the pond to play for us, keep up the good work.

Happy listening friends.

Spread the music. Spread the love.

Cheers,

Travis

As it was one of the first songs that I heard from Vistas, I was glad to see 2018’s single, “Tigerblood” made it on the album.

”Teenage Blues” is the first single that was released after I had become a fan of the band. This stripped down version of just Robertson and a piano is magic.

The title track of the debut album kicks things off at full throttle. Check out “Everything Changes in the End.”