Vinyl Theatre explore mental strength in new pop-rock sound
Vinyl Theatre
Origami
FILE UNDER: Charismatic indie pop
ROCKS LIKE: Twenty One Pilots, Two Door Cinema Club, Minus The Bear
WHAT’S DIFFERENT: Vocalist Keegan Calmes takes a leap of faith with lyrics primarily about discovering mental strength from personal mistakes, thereby providing a mature perspective this time around for Vinyl Theatre. Origami exhibits true musicianship with piano-driven moments (“Speak My Mind,” “Thank You For The Good Times”) meshing with hammering rock chords (“New Machines,” “My Fault”). Calmes’ vocals may be the best aspect of the album, but the trio’s creativity shows admirable growth since 2014’s Electrogram.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: After making waves during the Quiet Is Violent Tour with Twenty One Pilots in 2014, Vinyl Theatre’s momentum is readily abundant on all nine tracks. Moving away from the synthesizer filigree on Electrogram, Origami demonstrates an escape into the pop-rock direction the band always needed.
OUR PICK: “New Machines”
