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Album Review: Semaphore by The Vulcans

by: JoeS - Springfield, PA
started: 07/23/14 5:24 pm | updated: 07/23/14 5:24 pm

The Vulcans are a roots/americana group out of Mechanicsburg, PA. Semaphore is their 2nd album and follows 2011's Shadows. I have been interested in Vulcans since I saw them at The World Cafe as winners of the Philadelphia Songwriters Project. I also saw them perform at a local Mall and was struck by the clean and pure nature of the vocals and harmonies. Their voices are like a hand and glove... seamless. The Vulcans have been gathering steam by performing at Firefly and now at the upcoming Philadelphia Folk Festival. The three members are Nick Lindsay, Aaron Spangler and John Thomas. They all sing, take turns on lead vocals and play multiple instruments.

I'm old school so I always start with the album cover. I wonder what, if anything, did the album art mean to the artist and what to a take from it. The cover for Semaphore is a picture of an abandoned rail bed. The dictionary definition is the use of two flags to send a signal. I see rural Pa. in its simplicity and deep-rooted past.

There are 6 cuts on the album produced by Jeff Haitt. Jeff does a fine job of allowing the instruments and vocals to be heard in their purest form, yet polishes it up just enough to improve the listening quality. For a group like Vulcans, preserving their pure approach to music is, to me, why I like them and this album.

One of my favorites is the lead cut. â€œYou Lied.â€ This is a fast paced song of love and betrayal. A toe tapper that lives up to one of the versus, 'I can hardly breath.' The banjo work stands out as does the harmony and chorus provided by Aaron. Aaron has a rough yet high voice that adds texture throughout this work and their performances. The mandolin and doo-wop harmony on â€œScarlet Rose' give real meaning to the chorus, 'please don't go.' This song has a number of shifts in tempo and pace which are pleasant surprises leading to a multilayered harmonic end.

â€œExecution Hymn" is a song that reminds me of the Ken Burns documentary, The Civil War. It has overtones of tragedy and back woods justice. The distant nature of the violin and banjo give it a hymn and rural gospel feel. The song I go back to again and again is â€œFeel No Fear.â€ It has the fast pace tempo of a backwoods square dance. I want to get up and stomp when I have it on. It inspires with a cheerleader's enthusiasm and by the end, I â€œFeel No Fear.â€

Vulcans sophomore effort Semaphore has many fine cuts. Listening is fun, not heavy, but with substance. The quality of the songs, the tight vocals and the fine musicianship makes this a group to watch and an album to own. You can follow them and purchase their stuff on their web page www.vulcansmusic.com and on < a href="https://www.facebook.com/thevulcans" target="_blank">Facebook.

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