Vincent Colbert’s debut release is a scorched beauty, a lovely mixture of melody, a fragile yet authoritative voice and astute summing up of the uncertainties of life. The Ann-Arbor based singer-songwriter worked on these five tracks while adjusting to life in Michigan and it is perfectly captured in these hushed, bruised songs.
Anyone who has moved long distances for work or love will understand the difficulties of settling into a new life in unfamiliar territory. The fear of losing a part of yourself during the course of such a major alteration.
Colbert communicates those emotions expertly, but without fuss. Similarly the music is lovingly crafted, but on occasions barely raises above a whisper. It is a thing of beauty.
The bare ballad ‘Rose Yellow Moon’ might be the pick of the tracks here, Colbert solitary at the local watering hole with no company other than his beer and the wonderful howl of a slide guitar. The title track is another gem, with its couplet of “You know I’m not okay, everything will surely go astray” almost acting as a statement of intent for the rest of the record.
‘As You Are’ is complemented by delicate piano, while ‘Closing Hymn’ has the quality of a confessional with its barely-there vocal. It all adds up to an ideal EP – one that leaves you wanting more and eager for a full-length release. It will doubtless interest fans of Ryan Adams or Dylan LeBlanc, but the signs are promising that Colbert has the ability to stand on his own two feet outside of any comparisons.
Words: Andrew Gwilym