What makes Viet Cong by Preoccupations notable?

Viet Cong received significant critical acclaim upon release, landing on numerous year-end lists and being praised by publications like Pitchfork and The Guardian. The album's unflinching exploration of themes such as anxiety and alienation resonated with listeners, helping to solidify the band's place in the contemporary post-punk revival scene. Released in early 2015, Viet Cong is the debut album for Preoccupations, a Canadian band previously known as Viet Cong. This album followed their self-titled EP and marked their first full-length offering after establishing a distinct sound rooted in punk rock and experimental influences.

How many songs are on Viet Cong?

Viet Cong has 7 tracks, running approximately 37 minutes.

Viet Cong

Preoccupations · 2015

37 min · 7 tracks · punk rock

A frenetic blend of post-punk energy and introspective lyricism, characterized by driving rhythms and textured soundscapes.

Spotify Apple Music

YouTube Music YouTube Deezer Bandcamp SoundCloud

Own it: Amazon eBay

Top tracks — play these first

→
March of Progress — This track showcases the band's ability to juxtapose aggressive instrumentals with contemplative lyrics about societal stagnation, embodying the album's central themes.
→
Bunker Buster — With its pulsating bassline and haunting atmosphere, this song exemplifies the band’s experimental edge while tackling notions of destruction and paranoia.
→
Death — The closing track's expansive length allows for an immersive sonic experience that encapsulates existential dread, making it a powerful conclusion to the album's narrative.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

64 /100

Treeline

Higher than 79% of albums we've rated

The album combines energetic post-punk with introspective lyrics, creating a distinctive sound that resonates well.

What we noticed

The album opens with a driving rhythm in 'Newspaper Spoons' that sets a frenetic pace, which is maintained through the first four tracks.
Each track features layered instrumentation, often blending guitars and synthesizers to create dense soundscapes.
Lyrically, the songs explore themes of anxiety and alienation, with introspective verses that contrast against the energetic instrumentation.

Composition 25% of the score: 7/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 6/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 8/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 7/10

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

1 Newspaper Spoons 3:02
2 Pointless Experience 2:59
3 March of Progress 6:19
4 Bunker Buster 5:55
5 Continental Shelf 3:20
6 Silhouettes 4:12
7 Death 11:17

What to play next

Listen next

Preoccupations

2016

Go back to

Cassette

2014

Full Preoccupations discography Artists like Preoccupations

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata