The Campbell Apartment – ‘(510)’ [Album Review]

The Campbell Apartment, fronted by singer-songwriter and guitarist Ari Vais, releases their eighth album (510), whose title is the area code for Oakland, California, where, after a lifetime of global itinerancy, Vais has put down roots.

Chris Dunn produced the album, which was recorded almost intuitively – each song was written just prior to recording, resulting in a sound simultaneously raw yet buffed with a sheen. It’s a sound with heart.

(510) explores leitmotifs of fatherhood, isolation, addiction, and love through the perspective of life in the Bay Area, offering what may well be Vais’s most emotionally forthright material. Confirming that after 30 years and more than 120 songs. The Campbell Apartment is still evolving.

Of the 11 tracks on (510), entry points include the opener, “30,000 Days,” a song with grimy guitars projecting flavors of garage rock blended with hints of pop. For some reason, the song conjures up memories of John Lennon because of its wide resonance and retro feel.

A combination of punk and garage rock, “Tululah Says” is a personal favorite because of the upbeat sensation it engenders. The intro to “Grudge” features roomy, potent percussion and hefty bass, followed by flowing into a visceral grungy melody infused with tints of punk. Thick, dirty, clotted guitars growl with primal energy.

Another gem, “What’s Goin On,” rolls out on vintage pop-rock surfaces, harking back to the ’60s, brimming with wonderful glowing harmonies. But then the sound shifts toward layers of garage rock, giving the outro heavy, grinding textures.

The Campbell Apartment, photo courtesy of artist

The Nirvana-like “Biter” thrums with grunge relish atop a gutsy rhythm. Vais’s vocals imbue the lyrics with snarling, biting tones, giving the tune a proximate grubby buzz.

“Alone In The Bar” begins with a low-slung folk-rock and pop sensibility that shifts to timbres of power-pop-lite, highlighted by layers of radiant harmonies. Slightly melancholic in mood, there’s a wistful, nostalgic ambiance to the song that makes it approachable.

At times beautifully retro, at other times edged with the atavism of punk and grunge, (510) is an irresistible example of superb songwriting.

(510) Track Listing:

1. 30,000 Days
2. In My Dreams
3. Tululah Says
4. Ambulen
5. Grudge
6. Words With Birds
7. What’s Goin On
8. Winter 2028
9. Biter
10. Life On An Oil Rig
11. Alone In The Bar

Run Time: 27:23
Release Date: February 28, 2025
Record Label: Mint 400 Records