Review: The Vanities – Private Army

Cardiff electro-rock duo, The Vanities have released a new single, Private Army. Following a riotous period of early success in the noughties, the band, made up of Rhys Bradley (vocals/guitar) and Adam Hill (bass guitar) retreated into a self-imposed, decade-long exile before returning in 2021 with their critically acclaimed album, “2001”.

While The Vanities single “London” was singled out for praise and enjoyed heavy rotation from BBC Radio Wales, their latest offering, Private Army sees a shift in style away from their usual 80s influenced style.

The striking cover artwork for the new Vanities release, Private Army.

Andy Howells says: “An epic piece big on orchestration and sentiment, Private Army is led by a heartfelt vocal, as it laments on the folly of humankind in the new era of war in Europe, while carrying an underlying message of hope and strength.

“Think some of those stirring pop numbers that you sometimes must wait to get to the end of an album to hear and then want to put on continuous play. Well, The Vanities have delivered that on a single, and very good it is too!”

Catch The Vanities as they play a small number of select “unplugged” shows in support of Private Army in the forthcoming weeks, including two dates with Peter Cox of 80s icons Go West.

  • 15/04/23 – TIWNFEST
  • 29/04/23 – HMV Cardiff
  • 16/05/23 – Acapela Studio, Cardiff w. Peter Cox (SOLD OUT)
  • 17/05/23 – Acapela Studio, Cardiff w. Peter Cox

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this: