Fugitive & the Vagabond - The Lonesome EP

Fugitive & the Vagabond

The Lonesome EP
self-released; 2015

3.7 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

On paper I shouldn’t like The Lonesome EP by Fugitive & the Vagabond as much I do. I have said plenty of times before that no deviation on an EP or an album from acoustic guitars and vocals starts to sound stagnant. 

Fugitive & the Vagabond from what I surmise are two young men and even though the songs are composed with basic guitars just about everything is top notch. I can’t say enough good things about the vocalist. His voice is exceptional in a number of ways. It fits perfectly in a folk song and it has enough originality to it that you will appreciate it right away. 

The production is also really good. I thought the mix was open and thought his vocals rested right where they should be. The only complaint I have is that the last song “Lighter and Note” should have been remastered to fit the volume of the other three songs that came before it.

The band gets going with “The Wild” which is a great song. It’s simple but the delivery is exceptional. The lyrics also happen to be vivid and original. He sings, “It was a lonely sight, you stepped away from me. A cigarette in your hand, lit by sympathy. You said it’s not the same, your feelings had changed. You tipped your hat and called it a day. And Mr. wanderlust, the rabbit covered in dust, barely made it to his meeting in one piece.”

“Say Anything” is another great yet simple song. Slight variations in BPM make the song attractive. I love how he sings about contemporary technological problems many of us can relate to. He sings, “You keep on ringing, my phone is almost closed. We’re running out of juice, I’m a-switching off.”

“Two for the Road” of the road is the most festive and reminded me of Simon and Garfunkel at least in terms of the music at some points. One of the finest moments is when he sings, “I’m so lonesome oh lord oh lord. I’m so lonesome oh lord. I’m so lonesome you see” with such an acceptance in his voice it almost feels celebratory. “Lighter and Note” is a slow, melancholy. The song is good but is held back by the subpar recording quality. 

There is something so honest and simple about this music. This is a combo that is hard to pull off without sounding like a million other bands. A lot of singer/songwriters attempt but fall short. Fugitive & the Vagabond get it right. Congratz!

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