Listening to “Honest” by Vagabonds was a surprisingly emotional experience for me. This indie rock project out of Grand Rapids really knows how to pull you in from the very first note. The song deals with that heavy feeling of growing older and realizing things are not as simple as they used to be. The lyrics ask questions about whether life will ever feel as pure as the first time. It is a feeling of disenchantment that I think a lot of us can relate to right now.
What really kept me engaged from start to finish was the overall arrangement. It is just so beautiful. Every single performer feels like they are locked perfectly in the groove pocket. The way the instruments play off each other creates a really warm and inviting space. That being said, there are a few technical areas where the mix could really be elevated. I noticed the arpeggiated guitar playing response is actually a bit louder than the main vocal, which occasionally makes it feel like the main focus instead. I could also hear some static from tracking the instruments when the vocals drop out—if it was an intentional stylistic choice for coloration, then that is totally fine, but otherwise it might be a recording chain issue to look at. Taming the busy highs from about 8KHz upwards with around three decibels of gain reduction, and carving out some space where the mid instruments clash with the vocals around 500-800Hz, would give the lead vocal so much more room to feel airy. Also, bringing the backup vocals in the bridge up by about three to six decibels would really make that section soar. I highly recommend giving this one a close listen when you need something reflective.
Written by Oluwaseun Adeyemi
