Nick Ver Voort - Autonym

Nick Ver Voort

Autonomy
self-released; 2016

3.3 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Nick Ver Voort is a guitarist/singer/songwriter from Massachusetts who recently released Autonym. Autonym is a complete demo quality DIY effort that at the very least showcases some of the potential Ver Voort has.

Ver Voort is a self-proclaimed Phish-head and it is quite noticeable throughout the songs. Something within his delivery reminded me of Trey Anastasio and I think it was the relaxed way he sings. 

Autonym starts with “Down to Bridge St.” which is an upbeat opener. It almost feels hyperbolically upbeat sort of like “Penny Lane.” I don’t think anyone is going to claim that Ver Voort has golden pipes. In fact he has this humble, modest, reserved voice and it might take some time to get used to. He sings, “Don't take me down to Bridge St., down the river to the east. I've got other places I could go, dozens at the least. Still you keep insisting, so I've gotta let you know, don't take me down, cause I don't wanna go.”

Slight jam band tendencies meld with a cheesy sounding synth on “Dusk.” The songwriting is solid but Ver Voort has minor problems staying in key. Overall, the song is decent but the way it was mixed with the drums so low in the mix reminded me of elevator music. 

“Sweet Spot” is a highlight. It’s an atmospheric song revolving around synths and guitar. Ver Voort delivers one of his best vocal performances. At first I thought the song was about insomnia but then after scrutinizing the lyrics it just left me confused. 

“Wellspring” is a short jam session while “Too Late” has some effective lead guitar that reminded me of Santana. “Some Brighter Day” could have been great except that Ver Voort and the other vocalist get off-key a little too often. He closes with a highlight entitled “Wake of Clouds” which contains the best vocal harmonies on the album.

Ver Voort has some talent but still has a lot to prove if he wants to compete with his idols. He may want to consider toning down the synths at some point. Autonym shows some potential and hopefully is just the beginning of greater things to come.

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