VAST - Me and You (2009)

As the title alludes to, this is an album that caters to the sentimentalities of intimate relationships and other scenarios involving the various stages of love and attraction; however, the more appealing feature of Me and You, at least for me, is that the participation of a significant other is not required to trigger ones appreciation for the music and talent involved. I am quite fond of the music that VAST manufactures—the 2006 release Turquoise & Crimson, and 2007 installment, April, are both darkly textured and excellently composed—but I have objections to the rather consistent sappiness of the Jon Crosby's lyrics which tend to be fairly narrowly themed from album to album. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a song rooted in the deeply emotional turmoil that comprises intimate relationships, but a 12 song bombardment tests my favor. Thankfully, Crosby's crisp baritone vocals—the guy has a great voice that occasionally gets close to Jim Morrison's—along with the accompanying guitar work and orchestration can be enjoyed regardless of the mono-themed lyrics. Although I do not feel that Me and You is as excellent as April, I do believe that fans of VAST's previous work will enjoy this album.

A few favorites: The strummy "I Thought By Now," the darkly written "Hotel Song," and the waltzy "I'm Afraid Of You."