Ukrainian-American indie rock band Vinok have just dropped their new 11-track album Holy Fool. Written with the intention of speaking the truth, Vinok raises awareness for social and political injustice, with the hopes to make a change. Through a fiery mix of alt-rock, indie-pop and garage-punk the album is a heady concoction of brooding melodies, powerful vocals and a determined rhythm section. Quite simply, their sound is just as strong as their message.
Leading single “Elephant Girl” touches on mental health and disabilities – providing a thought-provoking anthem narrated by singer Nathalie’s authoritative vocals, which bring to mind the likes of Florence Welch. Then there is “Friends,” a song which mourns the loss of a friendship due to someone becoming toxic and self-centered. A relatable situation that I’m sure we’ve all been through at some point in our lives, the band brings a honest and unfiltered look on how societal trends can rot a person.
A personal favorite on the album is the latest release “River.” Singing of redemption, the raucous track bursts with energy, while Nathalie’s echoing and haunting voice sends shivers down your spine. With crashing instrumentation, a foot-stomping beat and crying electric guitar, “River” is an explosive song which will embed itself in your brain forevermore.
Drummer Ilya shares further meaning on the album title revealing, “A holy fool can have two meanings: on one hand, it can be someone who is viewed as holy but is actually a fool (deceitful, evil and destructive), while on the other hand it can be someone who is not afraid to speak the truth despite the outcome with the hope for a better society. And a big part of our lives is filtering through the two and understanding who is who, and that can be challenging. That’s something we are also trying to tackle in our album.”
Vinok shows no sign of slowing down. With a slew of releases building up from 2020, they have been working towards this very moment. Finally, Holy Fool is here and we couldn’t be happier.
