Vacant Windows

In the grand scheme of the musical world, the lifespan of the average band is often as short as a mere blip on the radar. With the exception of the few, most bands, sadly, don’t stand the test of time. For the Rolling Stones, there were hundreds of wannabes. I even shudder to think, for every Tiffany, there were a hundred wannabes.

But even then, from the rubble of those who don’t “make it” can be a rebirth. Disputes, disbanding and disillusions have been proven to create some great talent. If they didn’t leave Linda Ronstadt’s support band, we wouldn’t have the Eagles. If he didn’t leave ‘N Sync, would we have Justin Timberlake?

A short time ago Baltimore’s Face The Sun decided, for reasons unknown to me at this point, that they would go separate ways. From the frame of what once was the alt-rock band, vocalist Sam Morgan, guitarist Rob Stevens and bassist Brian Fee opted to rebuild.

With the trio heading out under the moniker Vacant Windows, Morgan, Stevens and Fee took a sharp turn away from alt-rock and have developed an experimental electronic composition. Their release, The Singles, is a five track step in what is sure to be the right direction.

The Singles will draw you in with the opening track “Astral Lights.” The haunting, simple song will echo within your ears as it drifts through its just under four minute existence. This track is best enjoyed by setting your equalizer to “Electronic” if at all possible. The beats linger and the guitar floats in a fascinatingly ethereal way. It is a simply beautiful track. The follow up, “All of You Know,” plays to a slightly tighter rock style but remains lucid. Vacant Windows transitions into “Immortals,” feeling oddly Editors-esc, yet exponentially more upbeat. They seal off the EP with “Soft White” and “Stay Invisible.” The two tracks (the latter feeling slightly Nanobot) broadcast their claim to “experimental” while maintaining cohesion. This speaks to the history of the trio and just how well they play off one another.

Vacant Windows was given a road of alt-rock that they chose to repave into something great. Though these five tracks may seem just a drop in the ocean of music, the fluidity and cohesion proves they could one day become a wave. Morgan, Stevens and Fee are time tested, so they have to know what it takes to stick together. We can only hope they continue their experimentation in looping and rudimentary beats without becoming complacent.

Who knows, perhaps one day, maybe even sooner rather than later, we will be saying for every Vacant Windows, there are a hundred wannabes. But for now, I’m enjoying the one and only.
- Nanobot Rock Reviews