The way that I came across this band was purely by chance. About 3 years ago, I was rummaging through the sales bin of a pretty lame music retailer and came across a black cardboard case with a crudely drawn picture of stick figures playing at a concert. It was a simple yet enticing cover, and I my attention was aroused in enough for me to buy it immediately. It was Miles, by the Vasco Era. The Vasco Era comprises of three members, brothers Sid and Ted O’Neil on guitar/vocals and bass respectively, and Michael Fitzgerald on drums. The best way to describe their music would be a gritty form of hard rock, with a pronounced bluesy influence. I’m generally not too keen on this type of music, but I was immediately hooked on Miles, not only because the band is from Australia, but because this small EP was so forcefully good that I couldn’t ignore it.
To say that Miles is aggressive is an understatement. From the get go, Kingswood introduces us to the standard bluesy verse/ chorus explosion that the band so wonderfully employs. This combination of catchy verses and face-scrunching/ head-banging choruses does wonders for this simple EP. The first three songs are like this; very intense and musically raw. However, the fourth track is a departure from the already established ferocity, and in my opinion is the one fault of Miles. ‘Turn to Blue’, rather than continuing on with the success of the first three tracks, decides to go mellow. It is by no means a bad track, and does us the favor of showing that the Vasco Era are capable of going beyond their limits; however, I found it to be a dull way to finish such an exciting CD, and most often don’t bother listening to it. It simply doesn’t follow the excitement created by the first three tracks.
The most important factor for the Vasco Era would have to be their vivacious front man, Sid. From his incredibly catchy and heavy riffs and melodies, to his soft-spoken singing and hoarse screams, he is the lifeblood of the band. Even when he is screaming his arse off, there is a gentle touch and uniqueness to his voice, which immediately puts him above most vocalists. The way he animates the picturesque lyrics is superb, and his aggression works perfectly alongside the jerky start/stop mechanism a lot of the songs incorporate. Emotionally raw would be another excellent way of describing Sid’s voice; take for example the beginning of the second track, ‘He Came Along Again’:
Life was like a fire then he came along again.
Life was like a fire then he came along again,
But it burnt so much brighter without you
Life was like a fire then he came along again.
Leave, leave right now
Sid’s talent at putting a life into these lyrics, and ingraining them into your mind, is inexplicable. On paper (or screen, whatever), they don’t look too special. The magic is Sid spitting them out, emotional and ecstatic.
Miles is an incredible EP, brief, simple and very straight-forward, but not without it’s own intricacies. The more than subtle aggression, combined with the melody and superb song-writing, makes this a wonderful listen. I doubt the CD is widely available anywhere, even within Australia, as I haven’t seen it other than the one time I bought it. This however is not a representation of the band’s popularity here, as they have an increasingly large fan base, mainly due to their insane live shows. Still, if the opportunity ever arises in which you are able to get a hold of this delightful EP, I couldn’t urge you enough to take it. Highly recommended.
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