Jamie & Vince - The Gloomy Room

Jamie & Vince

The Gloomy Room ​
self-released; 2016

​3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

The band name Jamie Rodgers (vocals/guitar/bass) and Vince Harris (drums/guitar) came up with is in fact Jamie and Vince. Does anyone else out there find this mildly funny? Anyway the band recently released an EP entitled The Gloomy Room.

The four songs veer towards heavy American pop/rock. These are the types of songs you associate with a band like John Mellencamp, Ryan Adams or other acts that don’t seem to have an ounce of foreign influence.

The EP is DIY effort and I think they do a good job when it comes to the mix. That being said the EP would have benefited from being professionally mastered. There is a noticeable difference in volume if you compare the first song to the third.

The EP starts with a highlight entitled “The Dueling” which is a purely instrumental featuring some solid guitar and bass work. It’s a tight well-crafted song but I do wish they did a little more with it. A solid groove that could have been a fleshed out song.

Up next is “Cascader” which is a fully fleshed out song harking back to ‘70s classic rock. They are American hard rock strong in this song. The band sticks to the basics. Nothing to fancy or experimental. Good stuff.

​“Marianne” mixes Americana with country flair. This could be a John Mellencamp B-side. Unfortunately the song is held back by the recording quality. The song was missing some essential frequencies, which provide a warm low-end. They close with an emotionally resonant acoustic song “Will You Ever Leave My Eyes.”

Jamie and Vince write straightforward songs without many surprises. They certainly aren’t doing anything that hasn't been done before but they do have some talent. I think a boost in the production and recording quality department is the next thing they should be thinking about.   

Tweet