A true solo album is a feat of significant skill. It\u2019s one thing to be able to play the guitar; it\u2019s another to master the drums, bass, keyboard, etc. But then to find a compelling, emotive, irresistible singing voice? Shoot, unless your name is Prince or Lenny Kravitz, you may as well settle into the depths of disappointment, let alone the marriage to mediocrity such ambition often breeds.<\/p>\n
So if nothing else, Lucas Laws\u2019 full-length release, \u201cVanity,\u201d is a triumph in versatility. None of this is to say he appears to be a master of any instrument at hand; rather, he proves he\u2019s good enough at each of them to get by while creating the type of music he prefers to create. There\u2019s nothing here that is necessarily rooted in expertise, but that lack of command is also part of the set\u2019s charm.<\/p>\n
The only problem? Too much is too similar. Take \u201cOkay\u201d and \u201cHope To Die,\u201d two mid-tempo indie-leaning country ditties. The former trots along and struggles to navigate the line between endearingly lazy and unforgivingly boring. In only a little more than three minutes, Laws manages to play in both worlds. The latter, then, kind of\/sort of recalls the Wallflowers\u2019 \u201cThree Marlenas\u201d in a weird way, an unobtrusive electric guitar strumming over rim shots and an acoustic that struggles to find a groove. Even though it\u2019s the point to be loose, the songs don\u2019t do anybody any favors with attention span.<\/p>\n
Part of that is because of the singer\u2019s voice, which works as a baritone drawl that does little to excite itself. Laws is so unassuming, it\u2019s almost a fault. \u201cWoman,\u201d for instance, has its moments \u2014 and not to mention an appealingly twangy construct \u2014 but it\u2019s hard to get inspired when the delivery behind it feels so \u2026 well \u2026 uninspired. Plus, there isn\u2019t a single good reason that drums should be involved with something as understated as this. Had Laws opted to go guitar-only, the track could have had a more lasting impact.<\/p>\n
For proof of as much, check how touching \u201cGet Back Home\u201d is with its bare-bones presentation and deliberately low-fi production. Oddly, it also warrants one of the more engaged performances here, despite its laid back campfire vibe. On it, the singer feels warm and inviting as he longs for his companion to \u201cget back home to me,\u201d his storytelling abilities on display more prominently here than they are elsewhere on the record, proving that sweet and tender are colors that Lucas Laws wears well.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe & You\u201d is similar in its heart, and its departure from the downtrodden indie pop that paints the majority of the set is both welcome and smart. The echoing electric guitar is bright, and the tiny sound of a kick drum plays navigator in this trip through a six-string that exemplifies sunny skies and warm days. He\u2019s best when he decides against his Johnny-Cash-lite depth in vocals, and \u201cMe & You\u201d adds a layer you kind of wish to see more of throughout these 13 tracks.<\/p>\n
Instead, however, you\u2019re stuck with songs like \u201cEphemeral Love,\u201d which takes a classic rock riff and strips it of all its energy. And that\u2019s a hard thing to reconcile, especially when this is the kind of music that works best when it\u2019s served hot \u2014 not room temperature.<\/p>\n
Yet room temperature is about as hot as it gets on Laws\u2019 \u201cVanity,\u201d proving again that perhaps it isn\u2019t the worst thing in the world to invite collaboration into the creation of art — more specifically, music. Sure, it\u2019s impressive that this set was written and performed by only one person, and yes, this isn\u2019t an awful release by any stretch of the imagination. But it\u2019s hard not to wonder what could have been, had Laws decided to open his doors and mind to outside input.<\/p>\n
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