UNSIGNED SPOTLIGHT - Vanity Play - The VP ep

Band: Vanity Play
Album: The VP ep
Genre: Powerpop/Rock/dance rock
Label: Unsigned

Tracks:
1. Narrows
2. Colored by the Fear of Night
3. Time
4. Fly a Crooked Sky
5. House of Wax


Just because a band is new on the scene, doesn't mean they can't already be making waves in the musical ocean we call "the scene." A prime example of this would be our unsigned spotlight of the week, Vanity Play. Formed in 2007, these boys are no strangers to the music world. Coming from various bands, they found common ground with a love for pop music with rock infusion and the result is, "The VP ep," a 5 song sampler from the band which they released themselves and are giving away for free via their Myspace [link below]. However, with all the pop rock bands jumping into the forefront these days, is Vanity Play worth your hard drive space? Well, let's find out...

Vanity Play, recognizing that the odds of success in the industry are against them, waste no time grabbing your attention with the infectiously catchy, "Narrows." The track bursts forward with a funk laced beat that's lightly laced with rock and roll. The vocals track, sung by a young man named Phil, is reminiscent of a mix between My American Heart and The Audition and with those names in the mix, you get an idea of the reasoning why this track is so catchy. "Colored By The Fear of Night," is a by the numbers pop song, nothing outstanding, but hook laden and dance inducing, so there's no way you can really hate it. I've found that Vanity Play have, though still in their infancy as a band, begun to master the craft of making a dance-inducing, catchy, and generally very welcoming pop song. The fourth track, Fly a Crooked Sky," begins to mold a different feel for the rest of the ep. It's a story song with classic pop rock flow, but peppered with some excellent guitar work and solid drumming. Besides the difference in sound, the track stands out simply for it's solid writing and musicianship. The ep comes to a close with, "House of Wax," another driving pop rock song that shows signs of where the band is headed sound wise. It's a well structured number with a toe tapping beat and lines that could easily be found scribbled across any teen's myspace page. It's a perfect way for the band to close this early presentation of Vanity Play because it hits all the notes the band excels on: writing, beats, rhythms, and all around approachability.

I won't lie, Vanity Play is not the freshest sound to come onto the music scene in recent memory, but rather a mixture of all the elements currently popular in the teen music scene. However, it's one thing to stand out for being different, but it's even harder to make yourself known in the sea of sounds already present. Vanity Play, though having been together for about half a year, are already showing signs of a bright future filled with packed clubs and late night drives between states. Download the ep and give it a chance because, hey, it's free, and if I'm not mistaken, it won't be long before this band will be much too big to be giving away their music.

GRADE: 7.5/10
MYSPACE