Crayon Fields (australian pop band) frontman Geoffrey O’Connor is on his own now for the spotlight. After being critically aclaimed by medias after his performances that blew Peter Bjorn & John, Cornelius, Derrhof, Dirty Tree, Fleet Foxes, Andrew Bird and many more big names, he is now on his own to whatever leads him to more spotlights.
Vanity Is Forever, his debut album is the album your parents would 100 percent sure they’re listening to when washing dishes or driving upstate. But funny to us, it feels like it’s something new. The gentle and shy vocal of O’Connor is the only thing different from the confident and lusty vocals of the 80s. Experienced in making pop music for a decade, O’Connor has chosen his ears-opening statement to love struck yuppy heart broken tunes of the 80s, in a whole package. The album artwork, the album title, even the songs titles, the lyrics, and the most importantly the bass lines that latch strictly to 4/4. i don’t know if this is just a joke, or the new identity he’s chosen to continue using, but if he’s doing it again in the second album, he needs something new or we will be bored.
The first single Whatever Leads Me To You, is the catchiest song in the album and one of my favorite. Followed by the duet in Things I Shouldn’t Do that brings the atmospheric love song of the supposed era. Proud is the song where he added Duran Duran-esque oriental synth, and succeded. But to continue with this formula of his, O’Connor needs new chemical ingredients.
This album is not for everyone, maybe only for those who’s a retro enthusiast. But to listen just one song at a time, it’s still enjoyable. It’s brand new oldies.
