“Whispers,” the opening track Vintage Caravan’s 2021 “Monuments” album isn’t just a song, it’s a statement. That harmonized scream right after the instrumental break is like a beam shot straight into the heavens (as seen in every superhero movie for the past 15 years). They cram a hell of a lot of epicness into a 3:44 song. It’s incredible just how much happens in that brief time.

This trend continues throughout “Monuments.” There’s a bit of a nervous moment when track 2, “Crystallized,” kicks off unironically - - seemingly unwittingly - - with the “Inspector Gadget Theme” as a riff. . . but the song then takes us on a similar far-reaching journey.
The band name declares their M.O. The Vintage Caravan’s sound is rooted in the soil of the past, but watered and fed with the best nutrients of the modern era of Hard Rock songwriting. Retro and modern in a perfect fusion. So you get tambourines and hammond organs along with killer melodies and heavy riffing. Those single-note hooks are hot enough to make smoke drift from your speakers.
More fuzz than crunch; every note is distinct and free flying, as opposed to churning in the mud. Opeth, Monster Magnet, ELO, Thin Lizzy, Cream, Sword, Black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Metallica, Deep Purple, Kyuss/QOTSA, Arcana 13, and NWOBHM, with a solid block of Rush, all coalesce into something pretty special.
When it comes to songwriting, these guys have that elusive, intangible “it.” Great riffs, great melodies, great intuition for piecing them all together. “Sharp Teeth” and “Torn in Two” are two other bangers where this mastery is evident.
As of April, “Monuments” is the top album of 2021. The Vintage Caravan are Metal’s next great power trio.