Vincent Hayes: The Grind Review
Vincent Hayes’ recent album drop, The Grind, is the guitarist’s second release and the next rung climbed on the blues ladder. Hayes is a part of the camp that runs festival circuits and relies on buzz and live presence to generate interest. In this way, The Grind makes a lot of sense. The ten tracks featured all feel as though they were honed in a live environment, constructed out of a simple drum-bass-guitar formula. Hayes manages to create a soulful, funky atmosphere with his minimal arrangements, which speaks volumes about his writing and arranging abilities. Take, for example, The Grind’s second track, “Common Vision,” which sounds far more textured than it reasonably should.
Hayes’ knack for mastering the more technical aspects of creating a record means that when his songs are good, they’re great. He seems most comfortable laying down slower tracks, and shines on the Chicago-styled “My Guitar and My Baby,” which is only missing the sound of half empty glasses rattling in the background. Likewise, the twelve-bar “The Other Side of Town,” which clocks in at seven minutes as The Grind’s longest track, takes its time going somewhere almost psychedelic. It isn’t always the case, however, that Hayes lands a song. “All You’ve Got” would make a much better instrumental track, as Hayes vocals don’t really do anything for the song and actually detract from the quirky rhythm at times. “The Gun” suffers from this problem too; an intriguing riff and a slow progression sets the track up well, but once the melody comes in overtop the song instantly becomes forgettable. A worse offender yet, the title track uses a tacky synth backing and sounds like a karaoke track from the eighties. The faults with The Grind seem to be that Hayes’ potential is hidden or missed altogether.
Despite its lumps, Hayes’ record sounds pretty much exactly like what it is – a talented bluesman carving the sound he’s honed over years of playing in front of an audience onto the back of a CD. The Grind has its weak points, sure, but it has an equal number of strengths and deserves at least one spin (even if only for “The Other Side of Town”).
The Review: 6.5/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Cold Feet
– My Guitar and My Baby
– The Other Side of Town
The Big Hit
– The Other Side of Town
Review by Richard MacDougall