Vance Joy Floods Eardrums With Heartfelt Sincerity

In this world of ours, a little compassion and authenticity can go a long way. Aussie hunk and ACL Fest schedule occupant Vance Joy delivers on both counts. His vocals usher you into their collective grasp, soothing the broken places that a doctor's pills can't reach. He packs a guitar that's bound to keep the ladies enticed long after his set's over. "Fire and the Flood" strikes me as a surefire crowd pleaser. Scanning the male heartthrob list Vance, whose birth name is James Keogh, has a niche of his own well on its way to being carved out but can also be put in league with other prominent male singers characteristics. He's got the deep smoldering feminine wiles grip of a John Mayer, Maroon 5 leader Adam Levine's playfulness, and John Legend's soft touch. It's not accurate to label "Fire and the Flood" a ballad despite the fact that the romantic longing would make it easy to be mistaken for one. First of all the tempo has the friskiness of a colt bolting out of the gate. Vance uses his guitar to remind you that he's not about to obliterate your optimism and zest for life with needless navel gazing. His nicely fragrant words keep the mood in the room at their breezy best too. You don't get much more passionate than what he's packing in the chorus. How jovial is "You're the fire and the flood and I'll always feel you in my blood." That's Romeo and Juliet fireworks sans the tragic body count. But wait, it gets pin up poster better. Try out "Everything is fine when your hand is resting next to mine." I'm an unapologetic single guy and even I can't help but be turned on by those sentiments. Later on we hear a thoughtful gesture that any wife on the globe would consider herself lucky to receive. Feast your ears on "Late at night when you can't fall asleep I'll be lying right beside you counting sheep." All together now...Awwwwww! What winsome tenderness. Maybe that exists only in the movies but I bet many women would gladly snatch up that offer. Atlantic Records signed him to a five album deal so I know they've put down no small amount of lucre in the name of promoting Vance's clean shaven magnetism. For anyone going to ACL Fest, and what music lover in A-Town isn't at least considering it, am I right, he's got the 5:30-6:30 Sunday night slot right before Hozier. That should be a great pair of evening fresh faced talent. In conclusion "Fire and the Flood" burns straight from the heart, a heart dusted by gold and star crossed, moonlit, exuberant longing.