When Jon Crosby first came to prominence with his VAST project in 1999, everyone hailed a 21-year-old prodigy who made gothic music vital seem vital again. Six years on and Crosby - rather than develop and refine his sound - hasn't really moved on at all. Any of the tracks on 2004's 'Nude' could have come from his debut record, which is all well and good if Depeche Mode's 'Songs Of Faith And Devotion' is one of your favourite albums. Thankfuly Crosby just about gets away with it by continuing to write fine songs. 'Thrown Away' and 'Be With Me' tick all the usual VAST boxes, namely arena-size production, gothic choir samples and Crosby's own passionate roar. Meanwhile 'Don't Take Your Love Away' is the obligatory swooning ballad and 'Candle' and 'I Need To Say Goodbye' feature the memorable hooks. Simply put, enjoyment of this record depends on whether you liked his previous work.
When Jon Crosby first came to prominence with his VAST project in 1999, everyone hailed a 21-year-old prodigy who made gothic music vital seem vital again. Six years on and Crosby - rather than develop and refine his sound - hasn't really moved on at all. Any of the tracks on 2004's 'Nude' could have come from his debut record, which is all well and good if Depeche Mode's 'Songs Of Faith And Devotion' is one of your favourite albums. Thankfuly Crosby just about gets away with it by continuing to write fine songs. 'Thrown Away' and 'Be With Me' tick all the usual VAST boxes, namely arena-size production, gothic choir samples and Crosby's own passionate roar. Meanwhile 'Don't Take Your Love Away' is the obligatory swooning ballad and 'Candle' and 'I Need To Say Goodbye' feature the memorable hooks. Simply put, enjoyment of this record depends on whether you liked his previous work.
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