Full album name:
Cheer Up Chap, Middle School Isn't Everything
Andrew Krolikowski: Lead Vocals/Guitar/Piano
Fran Berkman: Lead Gutar / Backup Vocals
Mike McManus: Bass/Backup Vocals
Mike Sarna: Drums/Percussion
Long Island is a complicated place. Too expensive to live in, too exhausting to swim away. I've tried. So why not look at the bright side? You can - ... You could always...There's a pretty good...
You know what? Let's just listen to music.
In come a band that was a hop, skip, and a bus away from me, Vision Through Sound. Forming in Massapequa, NY, VTS regurgitate modern rock to make it their own unique and sometimes goofy sound. Lyrically and musically, VTS is a delicious treat; original, creative, and bright.
Their 2006 release does a spectacular job getting their peculiar points across.
"A Song For the Ride Home" brings you straight into their tricks; the pounding beat, semi-twisted folk guitars backing up a series of lyrics being spat out... It gives you little time to catch onto them, but every now and then you'll find a line that'll really stick.
"Moving To Catatonia", a song portraying the lives of an everyday bored suburban family, is a bit loopy and gives off the feeling of clumsiness (which does not reflect, by any means, that the music is sloppy). The way the vocals list the lyrics ties in great with the tedious theme of the song: [i"]Sleeping soundly in a household with a family/With a dog, cat, and siblings/Taking Rover for a walk/On the road that leads nowhere at all/In the suburbs[/i]".
One of the strongest tracks comes next, "Something To That Defect", kicking in with a nice upbeat tempo. It's a happy feeling, and even gets pretty funny once you hear the barkings of
shooby-doo-wop-wop-wop. The lyrics from here to the end of the album start to make their impression.
On their alternative eerie side, "The Perks Of Being A Vampire" features a piano line driving the peculiar tune. The lyrics once again shine on an exampled standout line: "
How long can you hold your breath/Underwater without a cigarette?" VTS clearly have some variety to the feel of their music, as the piece carries you away with a ghostly guitar solo.
The next song has an ocean wave feel to it. "Conducting Electricity" starts off innocently after a funny sounding vocal intro. Washing it's way toward you, it picks up. Then before you know it, it retreats to it's original sound after knocking down your sandcastle. When looking at the album as a whole, it can be easy for this to get lost.
"These Words Won’t Sing Themselves" sounds very single-worthy. It's got a feel good rhythm, smooth vocals and of course your dose of lyric fun:
"
Sometimes I wish I was a country singer/So that I could stomach liquor/And seduce you with my laments about/my failing liver." It's a crowd-calmer fully equipped with a pleasing guitar solo. At this point, you can understand drummer Mike Sarna's style and can predict the fills, but thankfully they're appropriate and executed nicely.
Picking up the tempo, "The Bricklayer" makes a full circle without losing the momentum it begins with. The drummer gives his double-bass a workout - though it's more for depth than speed. Andrew keeps the listener on board with his lyrics yet again:
"
Why don't you tip the executioner?/It won't do you any good/It won't put your head back on."
"Peter, Peter" is divided into two main melodies; the first features a cowboyish guitar line which breaks into a catchy message. Definitely a song I'd recommend if you want to start checking these guys out.
The next two tracks work well as a team, but aren't significant when listened to separately.
Sticking to his favored vocal style, "An Ear To Ask" has words climbing down alongside guitars where "E. Smith Street" almost copies that idea with a twist on the rhythm. Both are good rhythms, but maybe should've been fused into one song...
"
Brown" is a buffet of great lyrics with a fluffy melody dessert. The song circles around apathy with the noticeable: "
This world is a Johnny Depp movie/This world is a Salinger novel/This world makes an underrated movie /But it sure makes a damn good novel".
Continuing the apathetic, hopelessness feeling, "Violins" takes it a step up lyricwise. The drums really shine in this song, finally giving Sarna the space he's wanted all along to max out on his much-loved triplet rolls.
The last two songs close the album on a calmer, relaxed, 'lesson-to-be-learned' fashion: "Disenchanted" is meant to be a sad song while also poking fun at literal heartbreak - and "Hello, Cruel World" ends the album acoustically in an 'I've-seen-the-light' manner, stocked up on good old hand percussions and tambourines.
The very least this album should do for you is make you aware of Vision Through Sound - the ages of the members ranged from 16 to 21. They're certainly a group of people to keep an eye out for future accomplishments, as they're currently readying a new album.
