Throughout their ten-year history as a band, Vision Through Sound has endured many changes, to both their line-up and their sound. However, after all the shake-ups they has faced, Vision Through Sound has finally found their niche with their sixth release These Things Happen…released on Dinosaurs in Vietnam.
Built around the songwriting of lead singer and guitarist Andrew Krolikowski, the songs on These Things Happen…blend rock music with a wide and varied number of musical genres. Showing shades of everything from pop ("Guest Check Love Song") to country ("Your Voice") to folk ("I've Forged a Woman in My Mind") to noise ("Thea"), the band displays originality while also maintaining its familiarity to listeners. Much of the album's material is darker and more brooding than previous efforts, but the band still retains a few upbeat songs to provide fodder for dancing and singing along. From the hard rock of "Rinse and Repeat" to the jazzy groove of "Secret Songs," each of these sounds accomplishes a nice sense of balance throughout the course of the record.
The band's stylistic breakthrough is a direct result of the group's new lineup. Each member of the band builds upon Krolikowski's songwriting and unique voice, while also giving the songs a characteristic touch. Lead guitarist Gary O'Keefe, bassist Jason Briggs and drummer Michael McManus each have their own distinct attributes that contribute to the overall sound of the album and the band as a whole. Also, the members of Vision Through Sound contribute stellar vocal harmonies that give each song an ethereal quality. The technical and creative skill of each band member not only fleshes out the songs on record, but also contributes to the band's live show, which showcases the band's talent and it's ability to have fun.
Krolikowski, enamored with the current lineup, stated, “This album would not have been possible without the distinct impression of each member’s musical identity pushing and pulling the songs, molding them into what they wound up becoming. Though I wrote the chords and lyrics to these songs, these guys really brought them to life. It was as if they took a story I wrote and created a flawless film adaptation of it, because, at its core, this album has a fairly straightforward storyline, but the players enriched it.”
After years of recording and playing live shows all over the country, Vision Through Sound has turned out a record that perfectly reflects their musical tastes and abilities and displays them clearly for their audience. The metamorphoses of the band over the course of the past ten years has allowed them to come away from this record with a sense of maturity, which is not easy to pull off at such a young age.
- C.R.M.