As we have seen in the past, the combination of rap and rock can be commercially successful, but those rarely made their mark and were quickly forgotten. The likes of Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Kid Rock are over for a reason: rap and rock don’t mix well, especially when those singing really have nothing to say. Now there are exceptions to the rules, Linkin Park comes to mind. Yes, they were a rock/rap fusion band, but they actually had a message, and something even rarer for the “genre”: a melody for their beats.
Vonnegutt, who are set to release their debut album in the summer of 2010, are up against some major odds, the biggest being rap/rock isn’t popular anymore and hasn’t been for years. Their EP, The Appetizer EP, is just that: an appetizer. You get a feel of the group’s sound, message, talent, and all in a few bites. Does the end result have you wanting more or is it nothing but something you’d send back to the chef? The answer is both. Right off you can tell these guys have more talent and pop sensibility than Limp Bizkit or Kid Rock. The songs are catchy, and lead vocalist Kylie Lucas’s voice does have a certain charm about it. And no, the fact remains this kind of music is a bit dated, even for those who made a career out of it.
EP starter-offer “Bright Eyes” offers an infectious story song about his sexual encounter with a girl who’s name he can’t remember. Into “whips” and other freaky things, the girl rocks his world so much that he now thinks he’s in love. The song is fun, though, and completely radio-friendly, if not otherwise pointless. “Ex-Girlfriends Are Stupid” serves as the angst-ridden track necessary for every rock album, and while convincing, the track serves as the weakest link. “Here We Go Again” picks things up again with sheer energy and its story-song lyrics. Track number four, the remix of “Bright Eyes” doesn’t offer much to the mix, it would’ve have been better for possible another track by the group.
At the end of this sample, you can’t help but to wonder what else is on the menu. The group succeeds in getting and keeping your attention with these few, select songs. And while the idea of rap/rock coming back into mainstream radio is long gone, these boys add a little something to the mix, and “Bright Eyes” has complete potential to break them through to the other side of success. Not quite the perfect quite, The Appetizer EP serves its purpose as a taste for things to come
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