Music, Movies, and Television: Vinyl Thief: Cool Art, Great Music

I’m the first to admit that album covers often determine whether or not I’ll listen to music. It’s not exactly a good thing. I’m sure I’ve missed out on an incredible amount of music because of my inane bias towards the physical appearance of the piece of paper that precedes the CD. Even writing about it now is making me feel foolish. There’s little to no reason why I should judge an album by its cover. I’ve said numerous times that music speaks for itself, which I still believe one hundred percent. Yet at the same time, album covers can have just as much of an impact as the music. The cover of an album is the first thing people see when browsing CDs, it’s the only thing that remains constant when listening to an album on iTunes, and it determines whether or not the vinyl record is aesthetically appealing enough to be hung on the wall. It’s not exactly a perfect method but for the most part, keeping in mind that an album cover says an exponential amount about the music, if you see cover art that interests you, it’s likely that the music will be just as appealing.

With that being said, it’s no surprise that Vinyl Thief’s Rebel Hill EP cover art was enough to draw me in. In a group of bland, almost stereotypical images, the Vinyl Thief album stuck out like a sore thumb. The image is a literal splash of color that is reminiscent of the Rorschach tests used by psychiatrists. It is simple while simultaneously complex. More importantly, it is intriguing enough to entice audiences to listen to the accompanying music. Luckily for Vinyl Thief, the album’s music is equally as fun and interesting as it’s cover.

Vinyl Thief- Rebel Hill

The music, like many other albums, focuses on the build rather than the immediate gratification of an instantly catchy song. Instrument heavy at the start of most of the songs, Vinyl Thief draws listeners in by ensuring that, even without vocals, the music is interesting. The crescendos within each of Vinyl Thief’s songs are well worth the wait because they are entirely unbeatable.

Vinyl Thief has an incredibly distinct sound that is unlike a majority of the music that is showcased by most radios and music sites. Much of today’s music focuses on portraying one genre or pace with each specific song. Vinyl Thief takes a far different approach by combining a variety of genres and sounds in each individual song. For instance, the single ‘Rebel Hill’ begins with an almost ethereal tone. There is a very slow, almost graceful, build that changes instantly into an indie-rock beat that mirrors bands such as Imagine Dragons. The pace of the song slows and quickens intermediately throughout as it continues to play on. While one would assume that the sudden and drastic changes of pace, and subsequently sound, would detract or ruin the music, in the case of Vinyl Thief, it aids in accentuating the unique sound of the band.

The entire EP has a very similar approach to music. As a whole, the tone of the album is very consistent. The intricacies and musical evolution occurs within the songs themselves. The music complexities are incredibly refreshing because they force listeners to play the album on repeat in order to fully grasp the tonal changes within the songs. There is something new to discover with each listening of a specific song because, though completely consistent, the complexities of the music far outweigh anything that is immediately comprehensible.

To me, the most appealing thing about Vinyl Thief is the fact that the instrumentals and vocals are equally enjoyable. The instrumental track alone is something that I could listen to. Similarly, the unique vocals are as powerful without the music as they are with. There is a synergy when the two come together that creates music that is entirely distinctive to Vinyl Thief. While the band can easily be compared to other artists, none can completely match this group.

Image taken by Bennett Farkas

It is clear to me that Vinyl Thief is a rare diamond in the rough of emerging alternative/indie bands. There is no doubt that the talent possessed by the members of this group will lead them to stadium tours in the future. People are slowly making the adjustment back from pop to rock which means that Vinyl Thief will soon break out in the music industry. The music is complex and catchy, making it that much more interesting and desirable. Vinyl Thief is far ahead of the crowd, which will become obvious when they hit it big.

Video from the Vinyl Thief YouTube Channel

Band:

Grayson Proctor- Vocals

Logan Purdom- Guitar

Same English- Keys

Andrew Broadway- Drums

Be sure to download a taste of the epicness that is Vinyl Thief over at Noise Trade. (My personal favorite track is ‘Pipes’… super awesome sound)

http://www.noisetrade.com/vinylthief/rebel-hill

When you’ve finally realized that the music is awesome, and you become unsatisfied with the fact that you only have three songs, head on over to iTunes and purchase the ‘Control’ EP. The 6 songs are just as good as the first three.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/control-ep/id371947232

Go check out the Vinyl Thief website to stay up to date on tours, new music, and video releases: http://site.vinylthief.com/