Album Review
When Kenny Vasoli decided to take a break from pop-punkers The Starting Line in 2008 to release album ‘Initial’ with his new band Person L, it was clear from the first listen that he was keen to escape from the style of music for which he was known and approach a more serious sound. But where they concentrated on a mixture of heavy alternative rock and tame indie music with ‘Initial’, Person L have gone further on their second album ‘The Positives’ by maturing their existing style while exploring other genres and musical techniques.
The album gets off to a mellow start on tracks ‘Hole in the Fence’ and ‘Good Days’, which hear the group play in a similar vein to some of the calmer songs from their debut. However, they expand on this with the use of effects and distorted guitars to give the music an ambient, post-rock feel. Throughout these earlier tracks, Vasoli’s vocals drift between harmonious and dramatic while the band’s drummer uses a jazzy sound to give the music a more technical structure. Thankfully though, as on ‘Initial’, the slow-paced indie songs fail to take up too much of the album and they soon make way for something louder. On ‘Goodness Gracious’, Person L turn everything up to eleven for a slice of bluesy, hard rock riffage that is sure to get everyone’s feet tapping. The blues-rock route continues on tracks ‘New Sensation’ and ‘Pleasure Is All Mine’, which are both pleasant and upbeat party tunes that take on an older R’n’B feel.
The presence of music that may have inspired Person L is evident in a number of songs on ‘The Positives’. Vasoli’s singing on ‘Stay Calm’, for instance, contains some strong similarities to Radiohead and ‘Loudmouth’ sounds a bit like Muse without riffs. The influence of different genres continues on the latter part of the album. For ‘Changed Man’, the band make a fairly successful attempt at a blues track, complete with some enjoyable guitar soloing during the instrumental segment and the addition of a few shouts in the background, which aid the illusion that the song is being played from a smoky bar. There are some soulful vocals from Vasoli during the chorus, helping to make this one of the most outstanding tracks on the album. Closing song ‘I Sing the Body Electric’, which is the longest track at over seven minutes, could almost be compared to chill-out dance music with its repetitive guitar and beat. Amidst all the diversity, Vasoli appears to briefly return to the melodic punk style of his other band for ‘Untitled’, though at a much slower tempo.
The result of ‘The Positives’ is an ambitious and enjoyable album, which features many fun moments as well as intelligent ones. However, while Person L have done a good job with the various styles that they have tackled, the lack of any real direction puts them in danger of confusing or alienating any listeners who are expecting something with a bit more structure. But if Vasoli’s aim is to prove himself as a mature and inventive songwriter, as suspected, then he has succeeded and, to that end, he has achieved something positive with ‘The Positives’.