Veps
Oslo Park
Kanine Records
The Veps (wasp in Norwegian) are a teenage rock band from Oslo, Norway. The band came together in 2018 while they were still in middle school. Oslo Park is the band’s first full-length release, following two singles and an EP. The band’s sound is rooted in ’90s indie rock and shoe gaze.
Oslo Park features pleasant songs with quirky lyrics. “Mooney Tunes” find the girls hanging out on the moon watching the sunrise. They go joyriding with aliens on “UFO.” I like the image of riding “in the backseat of your UFO.” Likewise, “Ballerina” has some striking images. Laura sings, “Norah you’re a ballerina. The most awkward one I’ve ever seen. You fall on your face but you blow me away. I could watch you dance all day.”
When I hear people complaining that there just aren’t any good new bands these days, I look to young folks like the Veps for reassurance. Every generation thinks their music is the shit. Every generation that follows proves them wrong.