Your Vegas - A Town And Two Cities Review

Posted by Mitch Michaels on 05.11.2008

NYC-based indie band (by way of the UK) makes their anticipated debut, bringing arena rock to indie…

My Story
As a reviewer, it seems like the genre of album I receive the most is indie rock, followed closely by metal. While it seems like every metal CD I get has its own angle of looking at things, I’ve determined quite the opposite about indie rock. It’s HARD to stand out in the indie rock world. That’s why when I received Your Vegas’ debut EP in the mail, I was excited. This was a band that seemed to have been born with a full head of hair and no sign of a soft spot. They came out of nowhere, fully formed, sounding for all the world like U2 by way of Leeds. But at only three songs, it may be kind of hard to judge. So how will Your Vegas fare now that they’ve put out their first full album?

Their Story
Your Vegas formed outside of Leeds in the UK around 2004, the product of jam sessions between schoolmates Coyle Girelli, Mat Steel and Jon Langford. The trio played for a while, going through a lot of band names, band members and sounds, before landing on a bright pop/rock style that hearkened back to the best days of hard edged, U2 arena rock. With a line-up rounded out by Mark Heaton and Mal Taylor, the fivesome dubbed themselves “Your Vegas”, a name stolen from the title to their very first, independently released single. Why not?

With a defined sound and name, Your Vegas loaded up into a van and began touring, from Scotland to Plymouth. Eventually, a buzz formed around the band, thanks to its persistent gigging and a handful of singles like “Your Vegas” and “Flybuzz”, and a major label deal seemed imminent. But the young group was dealt a huge blow when their first major label contract fell through before it could get off the ground. In response, frontman Girelli escaped to the US for a while, visiting friends in New York City. It was while there that Girelli formed a new plan for Your Vegas, one that would see the band take their act stateside. The other members agreed, and each migrated to the US in 2006.

It didn’t take long for Your Vegas to ink a deal with Universal Republic, who hooked the band up with producer David Bendeth (Killswitch Engage, Paramore, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus). Your Vegas spent much of 2007 recording their debut album, as industry buzz continued to grow. They became a favorite of Playboy Magazine.

At the start of 2008, the band released the teaser EP A Town And Two Cities, a three track preview of their upcoming album. The set was promoted by tours opening for The Bravery. With a full length scheduled for April, the band played this year’s SXSW, and are currently touring with Duran Duran. The band also has appearances lined up for Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and All Points West this summer.

Media

Download a free MP3 of Your Vegas’ ”In My Head”.

The Album
On April 29, 2008, Universal Republic Records released A Town And Two Cities, the debut album by Your Vegas. The CD was preceded by a digital release on April 1st.



The Band: 8.5
Coyle Girelli: vocals
Mat Steel: guitar
Mark Heaton: keys, guitar
Jon Langford: bass
Mal Taylor: drums

Your Vegas’ biggest asset is no doubt their lead singer, Coyle Girelli. The kid is a young Bono, no ifs, ands or buts about it. And he’s not just ripping off. Nothing on A Town And Two Cities will have you saying “This reminds me of that U2 song ---“, but merely, “Damn, this sounds like U2”. With a combination of an amazingly versatile and melodic vocal and BIG slick guitar/key arrangements, Your Vegas has brought arena rock to indie in a way no band has succeeded in before. There’s nothing cheap about this set, it’s pure polish.

Of course, you could never achieve that sound without the bigger than life rhythm section of Langford and Taylor, or the great interplay between guitarist Mat Steel and Mark Heaton, who bounces between six strings and 88 keys with ease. This is one band that has just GELED so quickly, and has developed a booming sound without playing anything close to the size of an arena. It’s a quagmire really.

You have to give a nod to producer David Bendeth for capturing this sonic masterpiece so well, but there’s no trickery here, just a band that can’t help but rock and rock well.

The Songs: 7.5
1. It Makes My Heart Break
2. In My Head
3. Birds Of Paradise
4. Aurora
5. Troubled Times
6. The Way The War Was Won
7. Your Vegas
8. Up Until The Lights Go Out
9. I Wish You Were Somewhere Else
10. Salvador

A Town And Two Cities gets started with the guitar rock anthem “It Makes My Heart Break”, jumping into the U2 mould from the very get go. I hate to keep referencing how much these guys sound like U2, but HOLY FUCK, they really do sound like U2. The band mixes uptempo tracks like the album opener and the spacey “In My Head” deftly with ballads like the elegant album closer “Salvador”.

Perhaps best, though, is when the band chooses to build slow, like on the epic “Troubled Times”, which moves from basic rock track to all-out soaring sing-a-long in a short three and a half minutes. And while Girelli’s lyrics aren’t quite as deep as Bono’s, he knows how to turn a phrase and write a hook.

In all, this is a band that you just have to hear. Luckily, you’ve got the free mp3 above. If you like what you hear, A Town And Two Cities will not disappoint.

The 411: Your Vegas is a rare band that has both brought something brand new to indie rock and has come out of the box sounding like professionals. There’s no denying how much they sound like U2’s best arena rock years, but they don’t come off as aping Bono and the boys so much as they come off as a brilliant throwback to a sound that is still incredibly vibrant. Your Vegas has either started a new trend for indie rock, or will be brought up to the majors fast. Possibly both. But either way, A Town And Two Cities is one of the best, most polished debuts to come out – on ANY label – in a long, long time.

Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]