The Classic Crime - Vagabonds

Artist: The Classic Crime

Album: Vagabonds

Release Date: 4/6/10

Label: Tooth & Nail Records

Sometimes the best things in life are the simple things. It's just the beauty of simplicity. The Classic Crime certainly show this on their newest release Vagabonds. Keeping it simple on this album is a key. Vagabonds progresses past their darker sound heard on The Silver Cord, which dealt with many different shades of life. With this album, many themes that are shown consist of a love for music and moving away from today's common society.

Vagabonds opens with "A Perfect Voice,"which is in fact being a perfect opener. A simple structure is heard in this song and Matt MacDonald's nicely written lyrics that declare, "I may not have a perfect voice, but I'll still sing at the top of my lungs until my days are done." The witty styled "Solar Powered Life" is wrapped in a classic rock-tinged sound, but is rather short.

Found in songs like "Four Chords" and "Vagabonds" are the band's love for music, with the latter even talking about their hometown of Seattle. Something that certainly catches my attention on Vagabonds are the last two ballads, "Different Now" and "Broken Mess." A pop rock side of the band is found, along with some moving lyrics about love. Starting off slow is "Broken Mess," which goes through a few stages lyrically and musically, ending up a beautiful closer and the perfect song to close off one of the best albums yet that the year has seen.

Rating: 10/10 The Classic Crime give us a masterpiece of an album with their third studio effort Vagabonds. Moving on past their darker sound on The Silver Cord, we hear the band at their best, containing a bit of everything on this album. Currently sitting atop many other releases of the year, Vagabonds may be one of the best albums the year has yet to offer.