Foy Vance - Hope
This post was written by Benjiposted in Uncategorized |
I can’t begin to tell you how long I’ve been meaning to listen to this album! The Belfast artist Foy Vance has already been featured a couple of times on music-heavy TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, and it had surprised me that Vance hasn’t entirely broken through the barrier of the big ol’ pond known as the Atlantic Ocean. But never mind that, for he will presently infiltrate your ears and achieve cochlear dominance!
Foy Vance released his first full length effort Hope over a year ago, highlighting his unique fusion of soulful vocals, bluesy instrumentation, and troubadour lyrics. Perhaps most surprising upon listening to the faux-Irishman is the incredibly lush vocals coming from a man whose present nation is characterized by strong brogues. His voice seems entirely made for blend of folk-soul–ranging from lush and resplendent (”Hope, Peace, & Love”) to brooding and dark (”Doesn’t Take a Whole Day”). The backing musical elements run an even wider gamut–jazzy riffs, bluesy basslines, Southern folk, and gospel tones. The truth is that Vance grew up Oklahoma and spent significant time in Alabama and Louisiana (New Orleans to be exact)–there is no doubt that the musical influences of these places show up prominently in Hope. The fairy tale that is “If You Could Only See Yourself Like I See You” illustrates Vance’s delicate sensitivity, not to mention his knack for crafting elegant ballads. “Gabriel & The Vagabond” features the storytelling talents of Vance at his best, along with delicious pianos that befall the ears when the words ‘Halleluyah’ ring out. “First of July” is the finest showcase of Vance’s lilting vocals, as it dips and dives with the precision of falcon and the grace of a dove. The dreamy “Elshaneed” is best drunk in the nighttime, perhaps with the lights on dim, recalling the stylings of George Winston.
“Hope, Peace, & Love” finds itself in a completely different realm, with its charging guitar riff and shifty bass backing the meditating Vance until the song burts outward with salutatory drums and more urgent vocals. Vance does his best of channeling Otis Redding on his “Shed A Little Light”, an absolutely uplifting track infused with soul and - dare I say - hope. Surely the highest of the album’s many peaks, “Shed A Little Light” dazzles not only with his infectious melody but also with its inherent wit:
Shed a little light so I can find you
Don’t let darkness hide you from my face
I’ve got a light that is sure to find you
But it might just blind you before that baby.
Brilliant, I tell you. But you’re smart-tell for yourself! Get a copy of Hope.
Listen to “Shed A Little Light”
Listen to “Hope, Peace & Love“
