Too Bright, Need The Shades

Nico Vega is first and foremost a rock band. Their overly produced pop jams dilutes (and holds down) their bold, fiercer, leather-jacket and aviator wearing side. Their frontwoman, Aja Volkman, provides the flare to an otherwise tame production. Her voice is thick, clear and carries enough weight to keep the rest of Nico Vega afloat.  Although they’ve developed a good resume for their latest album, Lead to Light, the record comes up a little short in being considered a solid album.

The track “I Believe (Get Over Yourself)” tells listeners: “I believe that this is your life and it can rule you.” It’s supposed to be a song meant for those glum days, and Nico Vega tries to make us feel better: “But I believe in you, so get over yourself!” The lyrics read like some transcript between an overly theatric therapist and a helpless patient who’s sitting there listening, their roles reversed.

In the bridge, Volkman sings: “And I’m so excited! And I can’t deny it!” – it’s so tantalizingly close to The Pointer Sisters’ ’82 hit, “I’m So Excited,” we’re just pulling for Volkman to say, “and I just can’t hide it,” to complete the homage to the pop classic. Regardless, the lyrics beg the question: what is she excited for exactly? Our feelings? Self-empowerment? The next episode of America’s Got Talent? Volkman’s delivery is powerful enough to glaze over these deeper questions, to the point where listeners just agree and continue to sing along.

This in part reveals the main problem with Nico Vega’s Lead To Light: clarity. On one end, they lack a clear, distinct, “Nico Vega” sound. Their sound doesn’t come off as multi-faceted. It meets at this weird intersection between pop-rock and grunge, unsure of where to turn next. On the other end of the spectrum, parts of their music are just too obvious: the transparent lyrics that try to be hard hitting, but really just scratch the surface, the intentionally simple hooks that scream at us, which come in two styles – 1. a feel-good, “Let’s go on an adventure!” type mentality, and 2. bravado (check the chorus of “Fury Oh Fury”- does the track title even need an explanation?)

It’s easy to get hypnotized by this pop production when Nico Vega is armed and stocked full with the necessary ammo: brandishing hooks by the dozen, an endless supply of catchy guitar riffs and the bass drum pounding akin to bands like Imagine Dragons (whose lead singer Dan Reynolds produced and co-wrote “I Believe (Get Over Yourself)”) and The Naked and Famous. However, the album’s title fits this musical intention. Nico Vega does lead us into light – perhaps one that shines too brightly, making us reach for the shades.