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Joel Vaughn
Control (Vol. 1)
(Dream Records)
Somewhere between an all-out infectious dance pop and bedroom laptop compositions lies the music of Joel Vaughn’s latest EP, Control (Vol. 1). Vaughn’s been working in this electropop sphere for quite some time and he’s clearly found a home in these simplistic, enjoyable melodies.
The lyrics on Control match the melodies well, focusing on a single-layered idea and layering it with corresponding narratives and complementary ideas. Entire songs are about being “prayed up” or reminding Satan that “you can’t steal my joy.” These are straightforward songs that will satisfy pop music fans.
That said, it’s curious to wonder what might happen if Vaughn could let go of full creative control here—to vocally go all in, to layer live instrumentation along with the programmed sounds, to tackle a multi-layered subject. Even after a few records, Vaughn is still young and talented with a burgeoning catalog ahead of him. If control was let go, we have a feeling we’d seen an already impressive artist make a major leap forward.
–Matt Conner
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