Vaults - Caught in Still Life

Vaults
Caught in Still Life
2016
Spotify

Some how some way Vaults have managed to slip under the radar this year. You may have caught a few remixes of their tracks here and there but for the most part the radio has been silent. It is likely because Vaults seem to be somewhere between pop, avante garde and damn near everything else with this album. Caught in Still Life seems unconcerned about giving you a unified message and instead bounces from musical style to musical style cherry picking which might be the right fit for each track. All at once the record manages to be hugely expansive yet still small enough where you can see yourself in it and connect. You may have heard "Cry No More" the opener on the record before as it was originally posted on Soundcloud back in 2013, but it still manages to stay fresh and vibrant. The first two tracks make you think that you have a Broods clone on your hands, but "Midnight River" changes things taking on a much more clear pop sound. It is a perfect oasis and much needed after how moody "Cry No More" and "Premonitions" are. "Poison" on the other hand is wispy and light as a feather sort of floating along while Blythe Pepino sings these emotionally charged lyrics. The writing on the entire album for that matter is deep and rich filled with beautiful sentiments and an introspection that you often don't find in electropop.

What is really interesting about Caught in Still Life however is just how incredibly immersive it is. before you know it you are totally wrapped up in this record and fully buying in. It does not take long for those powerful vocals to cut right to your soul and make a deep impact. There is also this very intense loneliness in these songs. the album does not feel entirely about being alone, but something about their sound sucks everything out of the room and you have to be there existing with your own thoughts with Caught in Still Life as the soundtrack. "Bloodflow" is great as it is but has so much potential to get bigger and bolder, you can almost imagine the live version in your head closing out a set.  The album closes on "One Day I'll Fly Away" an almost Barbara Streisand-esque song which is way to sappy for it's own good and sticks out as a big miss on this record. Caught in Still Life has a great deal going for it and so do Vaults; time will tell if they will be able to pay out on all the bets they have laid on the table.

8.0 out of 10