The Urgency
Self –Titled
Island Records
8/10
When one thinks of a band name like “The Urgency”, images of young twenty-somethings dolled up in lipstick and reject costumes from the Magical Mystery Tour come to mind. Yet the quintet from South Burlington, Vermont is not just pretty boys. In the space of a few years, the eclectic group has toured with many mid-level and well known bands, recorded demos for famed producer David Bendeth, and even managed to get signed to a major label by no less than the mega duo of L.A. Reid and David Massey. Now, with their first major debut album, The Urgency has set out to seduce the naysayers with a charming blend of reggae, punk and 80s New Wave. And for the most part, they have succeeded.
From the opening New Wave number “Fingertips” the album lulls the listener into a state of ecstasy, drawing on glossy chords and lead singer Tyler Gurwicz’s expressive vocals. Besides the Duran Duran-like homage to the horizontal position, the record finds the group mining familiar territory with gritty numbers like “Crimes “ and “Battlefields.” To be sure, the shadow of contemporaries and fellow Island residents Fall Out Boy and the Killers loom large over the 11 track album, as well as 90s reggae band 311. However, this record is anything but derivative.
Despite the thrilling tracks, there are a few sleepers. “Memories” finds them channeling the slow, airy sounds of Toto and Air Supply, a black mark on an otherwise well constructed album. Yet tracks like these are exceptions to the rule. In the main, record is 100% USDA Grade rock and roll, glammed up as it may be. Few bands of their ilk can say the same.
Overall, for a debut album, The Urgency is album that is worth the attention it deserves. Fans of The Police, The Killers, or Fall Out Boy are well advised to fork over their dead presidents for the pleasure of owning the record.
–John Winn