Vagabond: You Don't Know the Half of It
Vagabond: You Don't Know the Half of It
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By Matt Fortune. |  |
Monday, 17, Aug 2009 01:04
Polydor/Geffen, out now.
In a nutshell.
Big, funky Xenomania pop.
What's it all about?
The band makes a good go of a mix of styles, drifting from thrusting funky pop to fairly silly ballads.
Vagabond's singer, Alex Vargas, has a suitably big voice that dominates every tune. This does kind of make the whole album meld into one big Vargas-arama though, so if you don't like one tune, chances are you won't like the rest.
Who's it by?
This is Vagabond's debut album and they have arrived in style with Girls Aloud producers Xenomania in tow.
They were featured as the Guardian's Band of the Day back in March and their live shows have received plenty of critical acclaim.
They are doing the festival circuit this summer which could be a the key to their success thanks to the enigmatic Vargas.
As an example...
"You don't want me to yourself/And if you do, put on your clothes." - Smile of Mona Lisa
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
It has all the ingredients to garner a good following, but more for enthusiasm and emotion than for any real artistic merit. A trip to the top of the charts seems inevitable.
What the others say
"There are enough Will Young-worthy tunes to ensure Vagabond drift around the Heart and Magic FM airwaves for the foreseeable." - London Paper
"Vagabond's greatest asset is Alex Vargas, a voice which seems to have been marinaded for years in American funk and soul." - City Life
So is it any good?
In a word, the album could be described as 'big'. There is not a great deal of subtlety going in which will put a lot of people off, but it is not necessarily a bad thing.
Many people will be pumping these tunes out of their car stereos with the windows down and the system up as they are all enjoyable.
In terms of quality though, the beats surrounding Vargas' strong voice take a back seat and let him have all the fun.
This makes for quite a tedious listen for anyone who wants any originality and craft in their music.
Something tells me the live show is a lot more impressive.
6/10
Paul Smithson