Vincent Minor’s bright, fun piano melodies are instantly reminiscent of Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright. There is something different about him, though. Minor’s songs are conversations. They’re very laid back, almost as if you asked him how his day was and he waited to answer until he sat down at the piano, singing in reply rather than speaking. In that way, Minor is able to establish an intimate connection with his listeners.
Born in the Wrong Era contains five songs that all stand out in their own ways, creating a captivating experience that leaves you wondering what else this man can do. The album opener, “Fanfare,” feels and sounds like a story that Minor is telling only you. His observations are brilliant and make you wonder if maybe he could write a song that would make even watching grass grow seem fascinating. I want to see what he sees.
He makes social commentary, too, such as with the line, “Everything seems so real when you’re on the mezzanine.” After all, who doesn’t like to stand on a balcony and look down on all the “little people?”
“Fanfare” also hits the mark in the last minute of the song when the trumpets are added. It’s just something simple, a little trumpet duet, yet it’s so beautiful and takes the song to a completely different level.
Minor slows things down and gets more serious with “A Plane Grave,” which is full of images of plane crashes. In the chorus he sings, “I wish that I followed you down/I wish that I followed you as the engine hit the ground,” wrapped up into a beautiful melody through which you can hear the underlying sadness in not only the lyrics, but also in his voice.
Vincent Minor is an incredibly talented songwriter and musician who peppers his album with personal anecdotes and clever observations that make you wish you were his friend so you could hear these things all the time. Born in the Wrong Era is definitely an enjoyable listen for anyone who is a fan of piano pop rock.
Review By: Valerie Williams
[Rating: 4/5]
