Deas Vail – Collapse / 2006 Brave New World / 5 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/deasvail / http://www.myspace.com/bnwrecords / Reviewed 25 July 2006

Deas Vail play a very mature brand of rock that is not quite emo or indie rock, but rather a blend of the two that relies on rich instrumentation and soulful singing to succeed. “Collapse’s” first track “This Place is Painted Red”, blends together acts like John Maher and Dashboard Confessional to come up with something that is ready for the adult contemporary crowd but not completely without teeth. The inclusion of a synth during “This Place is Painted Red” brings listeners back to the halcyon days of the eighties, where acts like Duran Duran, New Order, and The Cure were dictating what was to happen with music to come.

The fact that the opening track lasts for nearly five minutes and does not seem the least bit stressed at the end of things shows that Deas Vail knows how to organize a disc as well as keep individuals interested in the product that they put out. For example, Deas Vail even keep things interesting when they put together classical strings at the end of the track. They could have just let things fade out, but they wanted to make sure that their fans did not feel cheated in any way. Each of the songs on “Collapse” could make it to college radio without a problem. “Anything You Say” is just another example of this, as the vocals take a lead role with the pianos playing all around it. The track throws in a little HelloGoodbye with the inclusion of synthesizers and a bouncy set of vocals.

So, Deas Vail has approached HelloGoodbye, Marc Schultz, The Red Hot Valentines, The Rocket Summer, and much more with just about eight minutes of music that opens up “Collapse”. If the band had enough material to make a full album at this juncture, chances are good that one would hear hints of thirty or forty other acts before the disc spins to a close. “Follow Sound” keeps the same innovative sound going for Deas Vail, with the instruments going to the next level by creating a soundscape that ebbs and flows with the intensity put forth by the vocals. The two last tracks of “Collapse” are demo versions of other songs; “Light as Air” and “Standing Still” are just two of the last salvos that Deas Vail throw out to ensure that they will be the next band talked about to death as news of this EP coming out hits listeners’ ears.

Top Track: Follow Sound

Rating: 7.1/10

[JMcQ]