Album Review: Vegas With Randolph – Drops of Gold
I’ve written about Washington DC-based group Vegas With Randolph before; 2019’s Legs & Luggage is a great collection of songs in a Cheap Trick-meets-Fountains of Wayne mold, as are Rings Around the Sun (2013) and 2011’s Above the Blue. Few bands working in their genre succeed at churning out album after album without covering the same ground and sounding samey. But Vegas With Randolph truly does achieve and surpass that goal; while their music is almost unrelentingly uptempo and exuberant (with just enough pathos and sass to keep things real), it also somehow finds a way to turn out original songs that are, y’know, actually original.
Beyond having a sonic texture that inevitably conjures thoughts of the aforementioned powerpop heroes, Vegas With Randolph makes music that sounds like themselves. What they haven’t really succeeded in doing is to break out on a national level. Sure, critics like me sing their praises, but VWR hasn’t achieved a level of notability commensurate with the quality of their output.
If there was ever an opportunity for that to change, it’s now. Vegas With Randolph have put together a best-of collection, Drops of Gold. One can’t quite call it a greatest hits album because the group – fine as it is – hasn’t really scored on the charts. But Best Of? For sure. That’s saying something, in light of the band’s consistency at making solid records. But they know they’ve got a good thing, and they have it in ample supply. To that end, Drops of Gold is stuffed with top-notch tunes; the vinyl double-album features 24 of them, unceasingly catchy and powerful. And the digital version appends ten more.
This album makes the case for Vegas With Randolph as a prime contender for the Great Undiscovered Powerpop Band of the 21st century. Pick it up and see if you agree.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day for several years). The more than 5000 interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- some 40 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.