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It's no surprise the frontman for Papa
Vegas, Joel Ferguson, was intrigued to play music after seeing
Kiss on television.he's wearing their boots! But in actuality,
Papa Vegas, on their new album "Hello Vertigo" has
little if anything to do with them, and refreshingly, that of
many other popular bands we've come across lately. My first thought
when "Something Wrong" first blew its way into my speakers
was: "Hey, this is a cool production!" A booming drum
sound echoed forth, something many have gotten away from in favor
of a relatively thin and hollow sound that really captures little
else but the effect of tapping a pencil on a shoebox. The ringing
of the guitar notes were what hit me next and that was all I
needed to stay interested for the duration. The next song "Bombshell"
had an earthy feel, undeniably pop, crossing paths with a touch
of Black Crowes style harmony and an on and again off again relationship
with the effects pedal, and a groovin' chorus.something of a
"space-jam" I'd say which pops up every now and again,
going back to guitar echo and keyboarding joyride.
Song four "Mesmerized" shows
off a flexibility within the band as they turn the other cheek
from pop/rock and short-term funk to an ethereal nightclub atmosphere,
notes still billowing in the afterglow long after the song's
stopped. It'd be easy to say this is a band that incorporates
several music influences and fuses it with a style all their
own.nowadays, who doesn't? Papa Vegas does identity changing
very well it should be noted. With the members all coming together
and throwing their own various influences or preferences, shall
we say, into the mix, though never foraying far away from catchy
power pop and shiny choruses, the finished product comes across
as a giant leap across a gravity-less surface that once held
rock musicians down to one niche or another. Papa Vegas's (I
don't know?) first recording for major label RCA does sound like
big-time guitar-oriented pop which it should, squeaky clean and
polished, as they're naturally afforded solid production, which
in this case, strongly affects an impressive outcome. |
