The Vantangle - Like It

Hear The Track Here

As soon as I saw this artist name in my list this month, it rang a bell. Surprising as it may seem, this doesn't happen very often and when such an impression has been made it can only go one of two ways; a great review or a bad one. I knew I had reviewed them before so I went searching and uh oh.....guess which one we are talking about here? Reading back the review of He Is A Genius (October 2006) it's fairly obvious why it rang such a loud bell. Most people know that I'm a bit of a pushover and really hate having to puke up all over someones work - but sometimes I find myself with no other choice. Such was the case with this artist and that track. So much so that I feel it must range amongst the very worst reviews I have ever written. Phrases such as 'nothing to offer' and 'yer basic rhythm that does nothing whatsoever' don't normally trip lightly off my tongue so it's bound to have stung a bit. Mind you, judging by all you can read, Eric Vantol (aka The Vantangle) kinda likes that whole deal and seems quite happy with his status.

Takes all kinds, right?

So, back to the story. Six months has gone by (kinda/sorta) so presumably things would/could/maybe/fuckit have changed. In most normal cases that would be so, and - for just a while there - Like It finally managed to make a reasonable impression on me. Although a lot of the same problems that I felt dogged Genuis are indeed still present in Like It but I think the tune (also kinda/sorta) is more coherent and makes more sense. Performance and production values are still as sloppy as ever and you should expect the most basic one-man-and-his-guitar routine to pep up (or not) your earholes. As in Genius too, lyrics are almost non-existent, a mere five lines of purple prose that Eric manages to stretch out reasonably convincingly over the three minutes the track lasts.

However, the small improvement is still not enough BUT is a sign (maybe) that The Vantangle - although content to tread his own path - may also now be aware of the impact of the path he has chosen. As I say, I hate giving shitty reviews but I see no reason why not if the track is not up to scratch. This one? Well, IMHO, this just about passes muster and will probably appeal most to anyone who likes that whole acoustic lo-fi pseudo-folk that seems to be all the rage these days. I do, however, think that there is a germ of a good idea here, and maybe Eric will develop that angle in later stuff. Certainly, after more than a few plays, the central 'like it' refrain does pay off albeit fleetingly and with a sound as rough as a bears butt vocally and aurally.