Vincent Gallo, a self-confessed sexual compulsive, has recently released his debut record, When. It's a record full of sweet melodies that lazily weave in and out of Gallo's heart as he sings about forgotten, egocentric crushes.
If you don't know of Vincent Gallo, you might want to rent "Buffalo '66," a film that Gallo wrote, produced, directed, cast, scored and edited in 1998. It's great story, packed with plenty of quality - wholesome American absurdities that will easily hold your attention for a couple of hours.
Gallo has also posed for some fancy Calvin Klein ads, been in a band with the deceased abstract-expressionist painter Jean Michelle Basquiat and at the age of 12, constantly enjoyed sedating himself freely throughout his hometown by planting pornographic magazines and lubricant in various locations.
Throughout When, interesting analog sounds are everywhere and they seem to work elegantly with tracks that focus primarily on acoustic strumming that's pushed back in the mix. The guitars, both acoustic and electric, are layered wonderfully, creating organic, auditory landscapes that always carry a significant melody. Unusual, up-front bass that's extremely reminiscent of guitar playing is practically always a constant, making the music very appealing. The strong nature of Gallo's songwriting skills overshadows the obvious lack of drumbeats/percussion. This may be fairly bothersome to some listeners, but it seems to work perfectly because the songs themselves are very interesting alone.
On When, Gallo is constantly using vintage instruments that have a particularly hazy sound to get a real unpolished feel that compliments his laid back approach to making music perfectly. This technique of embracing vintage instrumentation helps tremendously in painting an interesting, unusually retro picture.
When constantly jumps around emotionally with tracks that are beautifully written, proclaiming love, while others bring you down with lyrics about self-destructive, desperate relationships. When is perfect for listening to if you've just broken up with your significant other or if you've acquired a pessimistic attitude towards the opposite sex.
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It's also very comforting and satisfying because it accurately describes the feeling of both being in a relationship and wanting out, and wanting to jump back into one for no particular reason.
Gallo has a beautiful, innocent voice and a unique approach to making music. He does a perfect job of creating lonesome, desperate, slacker-esque love songs that should be ideally heard on a dreary, Sunday afternoon.
When is extremely raw and truthful. It's 100 percent, with no substitutions concerning the passion and communication that he's experienced within specific romances. It's a record to be interpreted carefully.
