vee device
Out of the Darkness
www.adequacy.netThousands of people were caught in it, and surely everyone in the country heard about the Northeast's massive blackout in the summer of 2003. I remember strongly the uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty that raced through me as I drove through tremendous traffic home, listening to the radio announcers basically say nothing over and over again (except for reiterating the rules of traffic lights that went dark, which most people ignored). No one knew what caused the blackout, but in the post-9/11 days of terrorism, everyone feared the worst, and even the final semi-resolution did little to comfort those fears.
The musicians in vee device surely weren't caught in the blackout, as it didn't effect their hometown of Fort Collins, CO. But the feeling of discomfort, uncertainty, and longing for daylight is a common one. Out of the Darkness is something of a concept album focused on that particular event, and in between songs, snippets recordings of broadcasts from that day reinforce the theme. But the songs themselves deal with the more tenuous themes of finding hope in despair and searching for light and meaning. These themes are accompanied by singer vee's unique, drawling voice and a blend of bluegrass, country, and folk that incorporates fiddle, cello, violin, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and more.
The opening track is a delightful country instrumental, riding mandolin and soft strings, a little quirky but nicely flowing into the next track, a melancholy song about disillusionment, with soft strumming backing the singer's drawling voice. "Blackout" has a much more traditional bluegrass feel, with fiddle and banjo backing the singer's more moody voice. On the very pretty "Misbegotten Fame," the unique vocals are layered nicely over some lovely cello. This is probably my favorite track.
"Tuesday Morning Drive" has beautiful guitar on a soft and gentle instrumental that's probably one of the brightest spots (no pun intended) on the album. On "Winston Churchill," multiple vocalists make this track stand out, taking some of the focus off vee's voice. The guitar shines here too, sounding almost classical in nature. "Sing Me To Sleep" is extremely pleasant and poppy, with light guitars, light vocals, and nice use of bongos, but by its end it turns into a Phish-like jam, and the annoying scat-like vocal approach gets old quick. "Darkness, Deliver Me" starts off feeling more traditional, maybe a religious track, but it quickly turns into a more upbeat folk-influenced pop song. And the closing track is very playful and upbeat bluegrass-inspired, and it leads nicely into the startlingly well-done instrumental that closes the album.
Bluegrass, country, and folk may not be styles of music the average DOA reader embraces, but vee device approach the music with a rich blending of styles that results in something closer to indie rock than traditional bluegrass or country. The reliance on beautifully played strings and soft strumming of guitar and mandolin, as well as vee's unique vocals, ensures that. The result is simultaneously lovely and engaging. While the band's moodier numbers resonate with me more deeply, even the lively tracks are catchy in a way that makes me fondly remember Colorado's musical blending of styles. And the themes of Out of the Darkness are universal. In short, I'm impressed by this album that requires repeat listens.
Delusions Of Adequacy -- Thursday, October 7 2004
By Jeff Marsh