The Van Pelt look beyond the spotlight on ‘A Voralberg Of The Mind’
New York cult favourites The Van Pelt have shared ‘A Voralberg Of The Mind’, the latest preview of their forthcoming fifth album Remain Obscure, arriving September 18th via Ernest Jenning Record Co.
Closely connected to the philosophy behind the album’s title, the single imagines an escape from conventional definitions of achievement. But rather than pursuing recognition, productivity and status, the song longs for somewhere distant where leisure, curiosity and seemingly purposeless activities are simply accepted as part of everyday existence.
It’s a fitting idea for a band whose career has largely developed beyond mainstream attention. Formed around songwriter Chris Leo in New York in 1993, The Van Pelt became an influential presence within the ’90s underground, combining post-hardcore, indie rock, spoken-word delivery and literary songwriting across records including Stealing From Our Favorite Thieves and Sultans Of Sentiment.
With ‘A Voralberg Of The Mind’, The Van Pelt turn their longstanding outsider status into something worth protecting, suggesting that remaining away from the spotlight might offer its own particular kind of freedom.