By Jeremy Thacker
Vincent Draper & The Culls refer to themselves as “the loudest quiet band in the world”. That sentiment is reflected quite a bit throughout their Mirrors EP. Slow, haunting melodies give rise to powerful riffs, which in turn back off for dreamy verses. It’s a delicate balancing act, but one that works very well to evoke emotion and really take the listener on a bittersweet journey of self-reflection and discovery.
It’s hard to pin Vincent Draper & The Culls to a specific genre. Crunchy blues tones are found throughout the tracklist, but there’s definitely folk and indie rock influences in play as well. It’s like an amalgamation of Iron & Wine, Jeff Buckley, and The Black Keys. Paired with Vincent Draper’s raw lyrics and sultry vocal tones, it’s a sound that does a lot to set itself apart from a lot of the other groups you’ll find in the Utah scene.
Look no further than the opening track “Who Are You Now” for a perfect example of this tone. The song starts off mysterious but ends up taking a dreamy cadence. Throughout the track Vincent’s vocals leave a sense of melancholy as he sings of self-discovery: “Screaming your lungs out / Are you fighting for the oppressed? / Have you seen the world yet? / Do you think you’ve earned it when you rest? / Who are you now?”
This is immediately contrasted with “Maybelline,” which begins with a jazzy intro and chorus, but slows down for the verses. In the back half of the song, these transition into an awesome instrumental bridge. “Maybelline” is the track that really stands out as the ‘loudest quiet’ track in my mind. The change in dynamic between verse and chorus would make a great contrast when performed live, but I do find myself wondering if it didn’t translate as well in the recording.
“See No Evil,” the third track on the EP, is super bluesy. Leaning harder into the blues influences leads this track to become an earworm too, and I often found myself humming it throughout the day. This is followed by “Soixante-Quinze”, a completely instrumental track which really showcases both the proficiencies of the musicians and how well they can capture elements of different genres and make them flow together to create something more than the sum of its parts.
The EP ends with “Absent”, a slow and haunting track that echoes the melancholy of “Who Are You Now”. Personally, I think ending with “Absent” was a phenomenal choice. It’s not the happy conclusion that everyone has grown to expect, but in a way that’s life. Not everything is going to be a happy ending, but as the music swells at the end of the song and you hear the lyrics “I know that you’re gone / I don’t want to know / you’re not here today,” and you realize that despite the pain of heartbreak, it’s going to work out and things will be okay.
“The loudest quiet band in the world” isn’t just a marketable hook for Vincent Draper & The Culls. Mirrors really showcases how this phrase is reflected in their songwriting process, becoming a recurring theme in both their music and in their lyrics. It’s loud doubts, worries, and insecurities followed by quiet reflection and acceptance. It’s emotional melodies mixing in with powerful riffs and choruses. It’s a journey, and one I’d encourage everyone to set aside 30 minutes and listen to. You’ll be glad you did.
Make sure to follow Vincent Draper & The Culls on Instagram. You can listen to “Who Are You Now” below!