Vinnie Caruana, the overly honest frontman of early 00’s era pop-punk acts like The Movielife and I Am The Avalanche, is taking his intensity to the acoustic guitar, and luckily for us, is bringing that acoustic guitar to the Camel tomorrow night. Also performing acoustically at the show will be fellow pop-punk icon Geoff Rickly, singer of the band Thursday, making this evening a smorgasbord of emotional punk delights.
Caruana’s voice has a slight growl, and sounds like the way an old man’s face that has seen the tragedy and turmoil of life would look--simultaneously rugged and conscientious. His new solo album, City By The Sea, is indeed calmer than the crowd-surfing singalong melodies he used to create; his voice and tone are the only constant. His album is littered with happy flute melodies, shakers, and other percussion sounds, but his voice shines through it all. Curuana truly wears his heart on his sleeve (not his tattoo sleeve, which he does have two of).
Written during and after the effects of Hurricane Sandy (which affected Caruana’s hometown of Long Island), City By The Sea represents a man coming to terms with his surroundings. Curuana himself says of the album: “I really felt like I owed this to myself and to all the people who have supported my music for so long. I won't let either of us down.”
Geoff Rickly is another act that should definitely not be missed. His voice is smoother and calmer than that of Caruana, but his solo act should prove to be just as wholehearted. Neither of these musicians are afraid to yell to any listening ears, gushing their deepest feelings.
Rickly, whose most famous band, Thursday, has been on hiatus since last year, released his first solo material this past November as a free mixtape downloadable from his website. The seven-song EP, simply titled Mixtape 1, features several new originals, as well as a response to Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" and a cover of Usher's "Climax." The stripped-down originals, which mostly consist of guitar and vocals, are more contemplative than Caruana's work on City By The Sea, but were written and recorded under similar circumstances--the recordings occurred while Hurricane Sandy was having its greatest effect on Rickly's hometown. He asks that anyone wishing to pay for their copy of Mixtape 1 instead make a donation to the Red Cross.
One man acoustic folk punk acts can be a dime a dozen; they seem to inhabit every basement in Richmond. But Caruano and Rickly offer lyrics and chord changes that are a delight to my ears. Curuano’s album is happy and uplifting, extremely heartfelt, and tells tales of the daily happenings and misfortunes of Curuana’s life. Rickly’s mixtape is in a similar vein. Their lyrics definitely deserve a second listen, just as any good poem deserves a second read to find deeper meaning.
Any Movielife and Thursday fans, or any melodic-hardcore/pop-punk fan at all for that matter, would most likely find solace from their stubborn lives in Curuana’s and Rickly’s music, and should definitely go see them at The Camel. They will be joined by Massachuesets pop-punkers A Loss For Words, Brian Marquis of Therefore I Am, No Sleep Records artist Koji, and RVA pop-punk group We Call This Courage. This show is a must for any pop-punk fan. Advance tickets can be ordered HERE. Doors open at 6 PM. For more info, check out the facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/events/117283895104605