Let It Rock: Flashback!

By Sues

I feel like I’m having a major flashback this week. Like Wayne and Garth are running by me in my bedroom waving their hands in the air screaming “Do do do do. Do do do do.” And then everything gets all jumbled and I’m ten years younger and wearing something completely ridiculous.

Only they didn’t and I’m not. Instead, two of my all-time favorite musicians from about 10 years ago are back with some new stuff and I’m obviously over-joyed. I mean, when was the last time you heard about Vertical Horizon or David Gray? It’s been a long time; thankfully I wasn’t holding my breath. Now we just need to see if ten years was enough. I know I changed for the better in that time – what about them?

Vertical Horizon- Burning the Days

I used to love Vertical Horizon. Love as in “omg best music ever!” That was about 10 years ago. Since then, I’d hear them from time to time and have fond memories. Their old songs are still catchy and I can’t help myself from liking them. So, I kind of freaked out when I heard they were coming out with a new album. I had NO idea this was coming and I was excited beyond belief to hear about Burning the Days. First thoughts? It is so, so good to hear their voices again! They sound exactly the same and there’s something really comforting about that.

But I was also a bit disappointed. One of the things I really loved about Vertical Horizon was that on my first listen through that old album, almost all of the songs stuck out to me. I was immediately obsessed. With this new album, there weren’t any songs that really stood out. If I wasn’t to in love with their voices, I might not even give this another listen. But because I have a special place in my heart for VH, I’m giving them a chance. I think “Lucky One” is a sweet song with lovely lyrics: “Time goes fast when you wander/And nothing lasts forever/But I still feel the power/Of you and me together/And light that surrounds you/I know I’m the lucky one/Though I’m always the last to believe/I know I’m the lucky one/’Cause I’m here, and you’re with me.” I can see that being a hit, though it’s not overly catchy. And I do like the album’s first single, “Save Me From Myself” because it sounds a little bit more classic Vertical Horizon than the other songs. But man, do I miss “Best I Ever Had.” Oh well, I’ll keep giving Vertical Horizon a chance. For old time’s sake.

David Gray- Draw the Line

Back in the day, I was totally obsessed with “Sail Away” and  “Babylon”, but I kind of felt like after 10 years I had outgrown David Gray. Until I heard this new album, Draw the Line and I realized I am still very much a fan. Maybe even more so than before. The first song on the album, “Fugitive,” immediately hooked me in with its upbeat, but classic David Gray feeling. Oh how I love his “heyyy”s. And oh how I missed them.

There really aren’t any songs on the album that I hate, but I especially like “Jackdaw.” It has a bit of a different sound than typical David Gray, but still has his classic voice. The real treat of the album is the last track, David Gray’s duet with Annie Lennox. It’s so unique and beautiful; they have the perfect voices for each other. “Full Steam Ahead” is the perfect name for the song too, as the sound and the lyrics almost sound like a train chugging along. “Bullied, suckered, pimped and patronised/Every day your tawdry little lives/So lose your head/And step within/The silence deafening/Now you saw it coming/And I saw it coming/We all saw it coming/But we still bought it.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard David Gray do a duet with anyone and Annie Lennox was just perfect for him! Bottom line: after all these years, I’m still crazy for David Gray.

Islands- Vapours

Ok, so there is one album on here that doesn’t take me back to 6th grade recess and it is the Islands. But I did spend some time being in love with them and I am absolutely thrilled that they just came out with a new album, Vapours. And this one I just happen to be even more obsessed with! After listening through just one time, I could already tell it was going to spending a lot of time at the top of my playlist. In fact, I actually played the first song “Switched On” 3 times before I even continued on to the rest of the album. It’s SO good.  I have some strange obsession with songs about cities and loving cities, so that could partly be why I’m so fond of it, but also because the tune is just so perfect. And listen to the beautiful harmonies in “Disarming the Car Bomb,” another upbeat and happy song.

The band members’ voices complement each other so well. “Heartbeat” is done with a bit of autotune, but in a classy and fun Bon Iver-ish way; not a Kanye West way. For some reason, not many people I know have heard of or listen to Islands and I’m seriously confused as to why. Give this new album a listen and you’ll be confused too! Islands give us another reason to love Canada, besides Bryan Adams. Yes, Bryan Adams. Don’t judge me.