Your Vegas – A Town and Two Cities

Their debut full-length album A Town and Two Cities proves that Your Vegas is more than just dreamy accents and good looks. The UK imports are a solid unit of great musicianship with the pop sensibilities of predecessors like the Beatles and fantastic musical talent to boot. A Town and Two Cities shows off the remarkable songwriting of front man Coyle Girelli (vocals), whose heavy lyrical themes blend beautifully with his smooth voice and Your Vegas’ fluid and melodic sound.

The disc begins with the wildly catchy “It Makes My Heart Break,” a great pop rock song to lay the tone for the album. Single “In My Head” follows in a smooth pop rock fashion that features great driving beats from drummer Mal Taylor and again showcases Girelli’s beautifully smooth voice on a well-crafted track. Mat Steel‘s guitar hooks are infectious as the track moves from ambient and smooth to loud and hard in a dynamic whirlwind.

“Birds of Paradise” and “Aurora” venture into harder, funkier musical territory, yet retain Your Vegas’ signature bouncy hooks that make you want to get up and dance around. The latter, a love song in which Girelli sings, “The world is turning just for us,” exemplifies the great production job done by David Bendeth on A Town And Two Cities as the track is seamless.

“Troubled Times” is a heavier song that immediately opens with catchy guitar hooks, smooth and beautiful keys provided by Mark Heaton, and staccato rhythm hard on the down beat. In the same heavy vein, “The Way The War Was Won” intros with a low, delicate keyboard and Girelli sings with soft and breathy vocals. Though fairly depressing subject matter, “The Way The War Was Won” is able to maintain an uplifting quality: “If I ever see blue skies in my town / You know I’ll kiss the ground we walk on… / So put down your guns / And that’s the way the war was won.”

Moving into the meta namesake track of the band, “Your Vegas” asks Karma to “guide me home” over an upbeat tune and Girelli’s strained vocals. Bassist Jon Langford provides a pulsing and bass line in “Up Until The Lights Go Out,” driving the warped and wailing yet melodic keys. “I Wish You Were Somewhere Else” is a classic pop rock song featuring hugely melodic chords and Taylor running all over the drum kit. The last track, “Salvador,” intros with a low hum leading into soft keys and breathy, sexy vocals from Girelli.

Overall, A Town and Two Cities is a great album that leans on classic pop rock sensibilities, yet stakes its own claim and brings a uniqueness to the genre that is sure to please. Your Vegas is hugely talented in constructing beautiful and ambient songs that bring a peace and happiness to a chaotic world. You can catch Your Vegas on the road with Duran Duran (dates below) and be sure to pick up a copy of A Town and Two Cities, in stores now.

Tour Dates:
Apr 30 – WaMu Theater, Seattle, Washington
May 02 – Sleep Train Pavilion, Concord, California
May 03 – Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, California
May 04 – Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, California
May 06 – Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona
May 06 – “Carson Daly Show” — Debut T.V Appearance!
May 08 – Valley View, San Diego, California
May 09 – The Joint, Las Vegas, Nevada
May 10 – The Joint, Las Vegas, Nevada
May 12 – Wells Fargo Theatre, Denver, Colorado
May 14 – Rosemont Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
May 15 – Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, Michigan
May 17 – Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta, Georgia
May 18 – UCF Arena, Orlando, Florida
May 19 – Mizner Park Amphitheatre, Boca Raton, Florida
May 21 – Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Raleigh, North Carolina
May 22 – Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 27 – Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, Maryland
May 28 – Agganis Arena, Boston, Massachusetts
Jun 13 – Bonnaroo Festival, Manchester, Tennessee
Aug 01 – Lollapalooza @ Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois
Aug 09 – All Points West Festival, Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey

Tracklisting: It Makes My Heart Break, In My Head, Birds of Paradise, Aurora, Troubled Times, The Way the War Was Won, Your Vegas, Up Until the Lights Go Out, I Wish You Were Somewhere Else, Salvador

Your Vegas: website | myspace | interview with Coyle & Mat | live review
Universal Republic: website