Jon Vautier - The Sale Is On EP

Released: February 2012

Label: n/a

Genre: Alt/Indie/Rock

The Sale Is On is the debut EP from singer-songwriter Jon Vautier, a man from the south west of England who produces some sweet acoustic songs and the occasional ear-busting rock song as well.

We begin with opening song The Sale Is On. It features a quiet yet noticeable percussion that continuously beats the same drum throughout the track, sounding as if it is the centrepiece of the track. What goes on around this beat however are a number of instruments introducing themselves. Starting with the acoustic guitar, the song soon blooms into a sombre atmosphere with pianos and what I think are horns boosting the tension that stems from the strict drum beat. It’s also here that we witness the very distinct voice of Jon Vautier, to me it bares some similarities with Arcade Fire’s Win Butler in some parts, but it’s a soft voice with a nice tone.

Leave The City Dead follows and it kicks tempo and momentum into high gear after the slow, progressive sound of The Sale Is On. The production quality is fantastic, allowing the layers of guitars and drums to be heard perfectly without muddying up the sound at any point. It’s an anthemic sound with a lot of passion and drive behind it, and is a nice surprise in terms of what I was expecting to hear on this EP.

The following two songs revert back to the acoustic, slower-paced sound we heard on the title track, which is unfortunate because it was a nice surprise to hear such a rocking tune. However, these songs are both beautiful in terms of songwriting, instrumentation and singing abilities. I can definitely say that I cannot wait to hear what Jon Vautier has in store for his debut album; The Sale Is On is a great EP.