Vernon Manner weaves emotional highs and lows through diverse sounds, creating an exhilarating yet exhausting musical journey.
"Little was said about World Cup, Webb Chapel's sleeper hit of 2024. Recorded and released during a time of immense upheaval for the band, people in their inner circle became increasingly convinced it was a swan song, owing in equal parts to the group's volatile nature and the reclusive nature of primary songwriter Zack Claxton.
Originating as a solo project, the Philly-by-Texas musician's prolific grit has spawned nine, count them, nine, releases since 2022, each one a relative middle finger to Philly's laissez-faire scene of 'ultimate homies' who seem content to buy pedals and impersonate '90s Lollapalooza aesthetics. Vernon Manner, not to be confused with Vernon Manor (2024), shoots off like a cannon, increasing the depth of field to anthemic territories, while maintaining a vulnerability that feels almost tragic.
From a listener's perspective, the latest iteration of Webb Chapel seems to pull significant influence from The Troggs, Cleaners from Venus, and Locust Abortion Technician era Butthole Surfers, to name a few. Bassist/vocalist Rachel Gordon, ex-drummer Christian Mailloux (see volatile), and The Strange Mono label's Jess Kramer provide the perfect tether for VM's kaleidoscopic smorgasbord, anchoring the songs with a weight that may have become pure ether otherwise. Elements of menacing punk and hardcore are filtered through a prism of drugged-out acoustic bliss as Vernon Manner oscillates between a far-out daydream and urgent reality.
