After accidentally forming last year in a Kent studio, multi-cultural quintet Vagabond release their highly anticipated debut album You Don’t Know The Half Of It. The sad thing is they’re actually right – we don’t know the half of it. And after suffering 40 minutes of this, if the truth be told we don’t really want to.
Overseen by Brian Higgins, the brains behind pop production powerhouse Xenomania, (where success certainly cannot be denied as every male’s guilty pleasure Girls Aloud have achieved far more than anybody could have ever expected with very little talent) one could have expected an assault on the charts. But the fact that they sound like an poor man’s Toploader, if that’s possible, the likelihood of that is very slim – as the tolerable Don’t Wanna Run No More could be (hopefully) the first and last thing you may hear from this musical mishap unless you’re an avid listener to daytime Radio 2.
Hovering loosely between genres from the slightly detached attempt at funk in I Know A Girl (where, for a brief moment, we forgive Jamie Cullum for what he put us through), to a cringing electro pop in I’ve Been Wanting You and Clouded Circus with possibly the worst drum beats since Jason Donovan brought us Too Many Broken Hearts. A very faint glimmer of light reappears with I Said Hello and Smile Of Mona Lisa, if nothing else they are a little easier on the ear and prove that Alex Vargas can actually hold a note.
Sadly there is no identity. Are they rock? Are they soul? Are they Europop? Do they actually know what they are? I’m really not sure. Mixing this with a lack of imagination, weak song writing and digitally enhanced rhythms can only remind us of the tragic late 80′s, early 90′s demise where the invasion of Stock, Aitken and Waterman ruined half a decade of music. We cant afford to take that chance again.
HOLLY
11 months ago
This post is absolutely not true! i have seen the band live loads of time’s now and not once have i left thinking anything other than WOW! They are all so talented! it is not often now that you see a band that can actually write their own songs and play their own instruments…perhaps this should be considered a little more when writing your next review..as surely that is what music is about? Please anyone reading this do not believe it..listen to the album and i’m sure you will see this is totally untrue and i am also sure that in the future we will be hearing a lot more from Vagabond…a least from the people who truley appreciate music!
Jackie
11 months ago
Vagabond are an amazing set of musicians whom I’m privileged to have seen several times now, following them after first seeing them support James Morrison – this review is totally unfair. Their great appeal is that they do not sound like every other indie schmindie band that’s out there at the moment. Alex Vargas has an amazing voice – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L5ZSCVGviU and his band are so talented!
See them live, they are fantastic!
Tom Arkell
11 months ago
Ladies ladies ladies! – Firstly I did consider that they write thier own songs and play thir own instruments but so do The Feeling, Nickelback and The Hoosiers! Say no more! Secondly, i did mention that Alex Vargas actually can sing and thirdly, one thing i did forget to mention in my review – women will love it!
I will make a special attempt to go and see these guys at V festival and if I decide that i was wrong in anyway i will let you know!
Jackie
11 months ago
I know you will have to eat your words Mr Tom Arkell! Yes, they are gorgeous too, but they are wonderful musicians – please go and see them at V! Incidentally, I’m pleased to see your review has not stopped the album being at number 2 in itunes chart (1 in rock chart) today!!!
Tom Arkell
11 months ago
Rock?!!! Ok I will try unless they clash with any “proper” musicians like Goldie Looking Chain or The Saturdays!!
Jackie
11 months ago
Now, you are just being very naughty!
EJ
11 months ago
Listening to the album at this very moment, and it is rather mixed. Having seen them live supporting James Morrison and headlining a small venue on Monday night (they were out performed by their support, Night Parade, btw) I considered the download price worth paying, but I have to agree that there are a couple of duff tracks that would have been better left off the album and smack of immaturity. Aesthetically the band has enough going for them to keep the girls interested, but I too would like to see them decide on a identity and deliver musically strong songs that don’t rely on a charismatic lead singer to achieve success.
Chris Sheerin
11 months ago
Listening to the preview on iTunes. Surprised no one has mentioned Maroon 5 yet…
HOLLY
11 months ago
For a band releasing their first album, written by themselves i would say they have done pretty amazingly! they are much younger than a lot of bands..and lets not forget unlike most actually write their own songs..a talent that most people seem to forget now-a-days!
Oli Lazurieta
11 months ago
Considering these lads come from Croydon, Denmark, Huddersfield, Manchester and Argentina perhaps they aren’t ready to decide on an identity just yet. Or perhaps their identity is one of eclecticism. I’ve seen them live and each song surprised me in turn. I liked the element of not knowing what to expect, the sound was new and most importantly they were indisputably talented. The lead singer’s voice (dare I say it) reminds me of Freddie Mercurey and the musicians are tight and talented.
Tom Arkell
11 months ago
After all the positive feedback, I appreciate that these guys may be good live but i’m not reviewing their live stuff. Nobody has really mentioned the album!!!
Louis
11 months ago
Seen this band live, thought they were amazing and I’m happy to say the the album is jst as fantastic! I think your review is quite ridiculous and if anythig shows that you probably haven’t listened to the cd properly at all because you’re defintiely not hearing what I am. I wonder if you went to see them at V festival?
The songwriting is high quality and I didn’t feel that any of the songs came across as cheap ‘fill in’ tracks at all. Granted, the song ‘clouded circus’ at first strikes you as a bit odd, but it has really grown on me, I’d go as far to say it is even reminiscent of a young U2 during their ‘pop’ era. Songs like “Mona Lisa” and “I’ve been wanting you” are great and not only show off the lead singers voice but also showcas a tight band.
It’s nice to see a band stepping away from the boring, bog standard and gimmicky “indie electro” rubbish that seems to be ruling the airwaves at the moment and actually write proper songs. Yes it’s a diverse album but what’s wrong with that? All the tracks have a clear thread running through them and the way Vagabond have shown their proficiency in playing different styles shows a maturity that many bands nowadays lack. If you want to hear the same song recycled ten times over then go and buy a Maccabees album.
If you love great music and great songwriting go and get a copy of this.
Peace,
L.
Tom Arkell
11 months ago
Obviously this is all about personal preference and if everybody liked the same music goodness knows what we would have to endure!
I didn’t get to see them at V as i think i was watching Biffy Clyro at the time but the general feedback was that they were “Ok” but i cant really comment.
I listened to the album many times over but it still didn’t do anything for me and myself being a huge Maccabees fan and you comparing them to the U2 “pop” era, their worst era in my opinion, I dont think that we’ll ever agree!
Lynda
11 months ago
My daughter was lucky enough to get tickets to the itunes festival and this was the first time I had heard about Vagabond . I was totally taken by surprised. I think they are a great band, with interesting songs, good music and totally professional for such a young group of guys. I’ve been to see them twice again live and can’t wait to see them again. I can’t make up my mind which is the best track on the album, I think it is whatever I am listening to Alex singing at the time, but Ladelle always goes down at storm at gigs.
I hope the album does well, this band have totally reinvigorated my interest in music and I would recommend them to anyone who likes a bit of soulful blues with a modern twist.
Lynne Sanders
11 months ago
I have never seen this band live but I think the album is fantastic! I can’t pick a favorite song as I love them all! I am not a young girl in lust with them either and my husband and daughters love the album too (yes the daughters are in lust lol ). I 100% thinks these guys will make it to number one.
DILLIGAFFUM
10 months ago
Having seen Vagabond live a number of times over the past few months I must say that, despite the fact that they are amazing live, the album is a bit flat. Where live the songs have depth and soul, the latter in no small measure, the album felt shallow and souless. I was expecting what I had experienced live. Where are the guitars? Where are the funky basslines? Where are the ubsurdly electro underscores? The answer is somewhere on the Xenomania cutting room floor. Vagabond have a catalogue that is eclectic enough for everyone to enjoy (at least one of) their songs without actually nailing down a specific “sound”. Nevermind. Enter Xenomania. They have taken a band full of talent who can put on a great show and taken all the life out. What appears to be endless tweaking and mastering has taken some fantastic music and made it sound like throw-away pop rubbish that no one is going to listen to and think “wow, I must go and see these guys live”. I hope for the sake of good, live music that we hear more and more of Vagabond. I just pray that on any future album they ditch the producers who so wrongly thought this album needed anything other than the songs written for it.
Tom Arkell
10 months ago
What a brilliant comment.
So much music is so over produced nowadays that the rawness vanishes and it loses everything it wanted to be.
I dont know how much say the band have with the production so its probably not actually 100%their fault. They will have to live off their live reputation ( which seems pretty strong) to succeed i feel.