The Vantangle - Ruby

Hear The Track Here

When I crapped on Marc Vantol's (aka The Vantangle) I Am A Genius (October 2006) about the only good thing that came out of that review was summed up in one word, and it had nothing to do with IQ. I think you can guess what the word was. Not to be denied he popped up again with Like It (March 2007) which I kinda/sorta didn't but had a strange fascination for because it was ...well, so helpless... A half formed idea at best but something this artist takes perverse pleasure in as a quick listen to any of his tracks will testify. I did note, however, the marked difference in quality between his first and second tracks and again thought that he had the start of something.

But it was REAL hard to be sure, ya know what I mean?

None of that on Ruby whatsoever, although that singular sound he has is initially off-putting, repeated plays soon wore off the admittedly small rough edges. Hold on, hold on, is the same Vantangle? Sure it is, you can tell instantly by the sound and structure of this track but my, hasn't a year or two at the craft wrought some considerable advantages. For starters, his guitar playing is much more controlled now ensuring that Ruby is the first track I have heard from this artist that most closely resembles what most of us refer to as a 'song'. A bloody good song too, as it happens, although it still has that awkward, shy edge this artists work has laboured under in the past.

Doesn't stop the song shining through though and that's well good news. Matter of fact, the more I played Ruby, the more I came to appreciate it's little quirks and if I haven't made this plain enough yet; came to like it a lot. There again, I am also a guitarist and a vocalist so I am more likely to enjoy it for what it is than most reg'lar folks, who will only hear a very basic arrangement etching out the song. It certainly shows that The Vantangle has made enormous strides in putting his particular vision across, giving this track the right vocal and rhythmic approach that a year ago he would have been totally incapable of; creating a track - however slight - with a fragile beauty. Where there is life, there is hope. Halleluyah!! Halleluyah!!

Highly Recommended Acoustic song.