James Keogh, better known by his stage name Vance Joy, became an international success with โRiptideโ, a multi-platinum single from his debut album Dream Your Life Away. Now, Nation Of Two is the follow-up to Joyโs breakthrough debut album, released in 2014. Itโs been almost four years but itโs hard to forget those sounds and tracks. He is a very unique artist and his folk sound acts as a sensational souvenir to the ears.
After almost four years, listening to Vanceโs vocals on โCall If You Need Meโ still presents great satisfaction. His lyrics are also poetic; the track gives motivation to listen to the rest of the album. On โLay It On Meโ, he does something new with the instrumentation in the chorus โ a sound he hasnโt used in a lot of his songs. โWeโre Going Homeโ has an alternative rock sound and again, he keeps the chorus interesting and creative.
โSaturday Sunโ is introduced by the familiar ukulele sound he is known for. He takes us through a change in his flow with a hint of folk pop. The addition of the โBa ba ba baโ chant is just one example of how interesting the choruses can be.ย Just when โTake Your Timeโ seems to be not as rhythmic as the previous tracks on the album, he pulls a surprise in the outro which will have any listener hooked.ย With his lyrics, he paints an image of the love he has for someone and wondering if she feels the same about him. The strum of the guitar and his soft voice on โIโm With Youโ will certainly strike a chord. Vance has always had the ability to change his pitch and itโs enjoyable when he experiments with his voice. On โLike Goldโ, a en deuil Vance Joy reminisces on a failed relationship.
Other than his smooth vocals on โAlone With Meโ, his use of the drum on this track adds a unique sound to his discography. He uses the drums to set the tempo for this song while the rest of the instrumentation builds up. At the end, there is an intermix of elements that gives this track a great finish and makes it one of the best songs on the album. The blend of his vocals and guitar riffs on โCrashing Into Youโ are outstanding. Heโs not โfalling for” her but โcrashing into herโ. In the chorus, he explains why heโs so much in love with her:
You came along
You light up my days, my personal sun
Showing me all the ways I could fall
You made me feel new
He includes elements such as guitar riffs, subtle drum beats, heavy bass guitar and subtle brass sound on โOne Of These Daysโ. His vocals and lyrics are additions to the musical beauty of this track. The combination has made this track compelling, a track a lot of people will have on repeat. โLittle Boyโ has a different theme than the rest of the album. He talks about being a scared of certain things as child who liked to be around his parents because he felt secure with them. Although now a man, heโs still a scared little boy inside. He talks about his love for his parents and his fear of them ever getting divorced. He also talks about getting separated from them.
He describes his thoughts about the โBonnie & Clydeโ movie and how they made him re-think certain things with his girl. He sings about heartbreak on โWhen We Startโ. In his first verse, he describes her as a โtreeโ who protects him. In his second verse he expresses his disappointment in the tree (her) as he sings:
Big trees fall all the time
They crack and sound like lightning
Leave a big space in your sky when they fall
When they fall a long way
This is a very impressive track from the strum of the first note to the last.
The instrumentation, lyrics and vocals on this album form a perfect triangle. He has clearly experimented with sounds and with his voice. The poetic lyrics on this album cannot be overlooked. He also displays a dynamic tempo which makes his songs unique and interesting. Every chorus on this album has a unique element which is one of the reasons why this album is a masterpiece.
