The first sound heard on
Vagabon's debut album
Infinite Worlds is
Laetitia Tamko's voice. Equal parts smoky croon and swooping shout, her vocals hook listeners right away and don't let go until the final notes of the album trail away. In between the opening indie rock-heavy "The Embers," which features grinding guitars and the kind of early-'90s dynamics that would make
Tsunami proud, and the last song, "Alive and Well," a haunted indie folk ballad,
Tamko takes on a wide range of styles and sounds. From electro folk ("Fear & Force"), surging punk pop ("Minneapolis"), and strangled post-punk ("100 Years") to waltzing indie pop ("Cleaning House") and drifting ambient electronic pop ("Mal a L'aise"), she pretty much gets everything she tries right; matching her intoxicating vocals with strong melodies and simple, but very sturdy, songs.
Tamko makes most of the music on the album herself, playing guitar, drums, and keys with enthusiasm and skill. The few ringers who help out don't do much to sully the home-cooked feel of the album or make it sound any less intimate.
Infinite Worlds is an inward-looking album, perfect for soundtracking quiet evenings spent pondering life choices and wondering what it all means.
Tamko sounds like she's done plenty of each and that comes through clearly in her vocals, the expansive nature of her melodies, and the overall restless and questing spirit of the album. It's a very promising debut that definitely positions
Vagabon as one to watch in the future. ~ Tim Sendra
