Review: Person L The Positives
While fans of Person L’s first album, Initial, might have been a little disappointed by the lack of pop-punk undertones that Kenny Vasoli (formerly of The Starting Line) is known for, listeners should revel in the fact that he has it in him to craft something new and abandon the stereotypes of his previous project. Initial was something fresh for Vasoli, but he has honed his new musical concept on Person L’s sophomore release. The Positives reassures that it is possible for musicians to find another style of music that they are equally talented at creating.
“Hole in the Fence” starts off the album with soft vocals, an acoustic melody and quiet background drum beats before picking up momentum three minutes into the song. This rock energy flows through the entire album. The grungy guitar riffs of “Goodness Gracious” lead the track into a heavy jam with the best lyrics on the album. In addition, the auxiliary instrumentation (tambourines, horns, cowbell) is perfectly placed and is used to complement the main music rather than act as filler. In the song Vasoli sings, “I’ve been hearing rumors of a revolution.” Back in the day he used to sing that February 12, 1999, was the best day of his life (when he would have only been 14 or 15), but now he writes thoughtful and more mature lyrics that better fit with his twenty-five years of age.
But not everything on The Positives is commendable. Vasoli’s voice is enjoyable when left to itself, but when too many effects are added to it (see “Loudmouth”), it takes away from his given talent. Another noticeable annoyance of the album is when “Changed Man” ends with live claps and cheers. Assuming the band has a decent following, it’s odd that it is as though only a handful of people were in the audience (if there actually was an audience). Furthermore, this one and only live aspect doesn’t fit with the rest of the album’s vibe.
Since the album has songs with a darker and more eerie mood (“Stay Calm”), better developed lyrics and an overall indie-rock sound, the pop-punk kids who have matured into more serious “hipsters” won’t be embarrassed to admit that they listen to a Vasoli-fronted project, and should give The Positives a listen.
Originally posted on StereoSubversion.com.