The Vision of a Dying World – What You Are To Be You Now Become
Well-written and catchy folk with a very unique personality.
Self-released
Upon reading the name The Vision of a Dying World, you might imagine something in the vein of those dreaded names Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco. Yet upon listening, your fears would be proven completely and utterly false. The sound is along the lines of the more recent work from Piebald, but more folk-oriented.
The four-man folk band from San Diego delivers terrific, sometimes bizarre, lyrics and a deft knowledge of the many instruments used on their eight-song album, What You Are to Be You Now Become.
With the slightly-off vocal harmonies that kick-start the album in “Wishing Well,” one immediately has a sense that the album is not of the usual folk fare. The song sets a tone for the rest of the album, presenting a catchy, albeit brief, chorus and instrumentation that gives it a happy feeling.
This sound is fairly typical throughout the album, with a couple exceptions. With “Smack My Face,” the band produces a darker tone. There is uneasiness behind the twanging banjo and melodic accordion of the song that is just hard to describe.
In sharp contrast exists “The Beaver King,” which is, quite possibly, the most bizarre song ever written. The song itself is catchy and bright, almost bordering on the pop side of things. It has the largest set of lyrics of any song in the album, but behind the light beat, banjo and electric guitar that fleshes out the song, the lyrics are purely strange. More or less, the voice behind the song states that he hates beavers and that someday he will become “The Beaver King” and put them through “An American beaver Holocaust.” It’s strange, but comical in its happy attitude.
When listening carefully to the lyrics throughout the album, you can hear some of the more morbid lyrics sprinkled in various places. It’s not until one finishes listening to the album that it is far more remorseful than happy, speaking often of death. Yet amongst it all, the band pushes forth a sense of contentment behind the ideas of impending doom.
What You Are to Be You Now Become isn’t for everyone. If you enjoy folk or well-written lyrics, I suggest you give it a listen. If you prefer something a little more standard, steer clear. I thoroughly enjoy this album and will continue listening to it for years to come.
-Nate Williams
nathanmw@ou.edu