Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Reviews:: Andrew Vincent Rotten Pears

After a few listens of Rotten Pear, you realize that Andrew Vincent should have named his latest record Rotten Pair if wanted to be more accurate, but it might have made the subtle darkness and depression he hides in the tracks too obvious to the casual listener. After hunkering down in his new TO home and stripping out any superfluous sound (not to mention his backing band) Vincent found a sound that suits his style perfectly.

On the surface, Rotten Pear is charming, but it’s not until you bite into the core that you really get the rush of flavor and rewards. Vincent – currently working on his phD in TO – is obviously an intelligent man, and that shines through on these "simple" pop songs. With the support of gentle acoustic or rapid fire strums of his electric, Vincent takes us all through a journey of love, loss, and alienation, but without any distractions you focus in on the wit, playfulness, and humor his stories are laced with.

Vincent’s word play is probably his most noted skill, but the simple hooks he crafts are just as crucial to the success of the songs. The chords that drive Going Out Tonight really contrast the attitude he offers up, but that’s what makes the song stick. The same is true of the opener, Hi Lo. The melancholic tale of addiction might be overwhelming, if not paired with an almost weightless guitar strum and beautiful piano/strings. Instead, you just sit down and listen to Vincent pour out his heart and poignant observations (In their sweat pants and acne scars, one by one they ask you out) and sympathize with his pain.

Over the 12 songs – including a surprising effective take on Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love - Vincent wears his heart on his sleeve and the result is a collection of characters you believe in and want to be ok. Whether professing his love on Nobody Else - which incidentally, sounds like a long lost Groovie Ghoulies track, so I’m on board – dropping subtle pop culture references or writing an anthem for every young Canadian (Canadian Dream), Vincent seems to find the right words and emotions for every song and that's why his stripped down songs offer more depth than the biggest collectives playing the "boldest" sounds.