Vintage Blue Album Review

By Alicia in Partner News and Reviews on Apr 06, 2012

Strike the Mics is out now!

Chicago rockers Ben, Ryan, Will, Caesar and Matt, who make up the group Vintage Blue (formerly Tanglewood), have reinvented themselves on their debut album, Strike the Mics that was released in February 2012.

Singer/guitarist Ben Bassett said,

"These songs move us beyond the old band makeup and are brand new to the five of us, so it was time for a different message for the band. This album is all the five of our minds working together, so it was kind of nice to have a whole new idea, brand and image to present with this new album. I think essentially the new name clarifies what we want to be or what the vision is: a contemporary twist on classic rock."

The group has moved towards accomplishing this vision by releasing an ambitious 13-track record. The release is a mix of songs that at times made me think I had multiple artists on shuffle. No song really sounded the same. Vintage Blue worked with producer Jamie Candiloro, who has worked with talents such as Ryan Adams and Willie Nelson. Candiloro’s expertise helped the group meet their maximum potential when writing and recording each song. He even assisted them in naming the album.

Vintage Blue’s sound is quite mixed and instead of attracting only rock fans, should also be heard by blues/folk/alternative fans. I can hear sounds of many 90’s rockers in this album; Creed, Live and hints of Finger Eleven come to mind first. There is bound to be a song or two that will attract any music lover.

I found each song on Strike the Mics to be uniquely different. Speak and Just Breath stood out the most to me. They were the songs that seemed the most polished and the ones that really showed me what this group had to offer. Set You Free had a quirky, fun beat that immediately got your attention. It made me want to dance around! Against Time and Help Me See had great melodies and the lyrics were quite relatable. Unchained is the quintessential rock song on the album, while they slowed things down with love song Great Divide.

While Vintage Blue does not pursue music full time, they have spent a considerable amount of time fine tuning their sounds and practicing as a group. Their first release, Strike the Mics is a solid effort that shows the group has staying power in a not-so-solid industry.

Track Listing

1. Set You Free 2. Unchained 3. California Road 4. Speak 5. Hey Hey 6. Sleep On This 7. Here To Stay 8. Just Breathe 9. What Lies 10. Help Me See 11. Against Time 12. Great Divide 13. True