Reviews

Churning out gritty beats on dated analogue equipment in his parents' garage during the course of his adolescence was not a lost cause for Tom Vek.  His debut album, We Have Sound, shows the chops of a consummate veteran.  All too often, debuts from new artists are misaligned and mercurial.  However, Vek pulls all the strings together, weaving the intangibles of luminescence with the formidable deftness of a magician, into a web of visionary aptitude.  Although many of the songs are raw, they are not sloppy. 

Vek wrote and recorded the entire album on his own.  He also played all the instruments, and there is no doubt about his abilities.  That aspect of unchained musical expression comes through vividly.  There is a certain sense of musical diversity throughout the album, as Vek doesn’t nail himself down to one definitive sound.  “That Can Be Arranged” has an acoustic hook in the beginning not much different from The Hollies “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress),” but Vek throws in 21st century synthetic sounds and electronic beats to give it a more modern feel.  The combination of the acoustic guitar and the electronic sounds creates a chaotic and unfitting sense, but somehow the song still comes through strong.  “Nothing But Green Lights,” swells from a galactic trance into a funk-laced groove with quick and simple dance beats.  “If You Want” is a nice, funk rock blend, laid under a smooth groove that seems straight from disco and 80’s pop.  Its defining factor is the suave, velvety bass lines, complete with good doses of slap-and-pops.

Only a few of the songs are hard to swallow.  The abrasive “Cover” is an experiment in sound oscillation.  The music and sounds of “On The Road,” which bring the flow of the album to a temporary standstill, seem more befitting for The Doors.

Vek’s album is a vision of wide-open spaces and freedom.  It is a calling to the necessity of spontaneity, which seems to be in danger of extinction in the technical and abrasive society of today’s modern world.  The entire album, with its images of disconnection, aimless ramblings, and never-ending opportunity & optimism, speak about that never-ending bit of advice: stop talking, and start doing.