Wes Blaylock (vocals), Andy Moore (guitar), Kelsey Harelson (drums), Laura Beth Hudson (keyboards) and Johnathan Childs (bass) comprise this Russelville, Arkansas outfit. After the enlightening experience of hearing Blaylock's vocal perfection in a performance at Cornerstone 2006, I bought the 'Collapse' EP and became a new and avid follower of the band. However, the effects of the 5-song fix started to subside and the EP found it's way back into my CD shelf. What I didn't know, was that a full-length had been held up due to label issues, and that the EP was issued by their new label Brave New World to hold listeners over until the official release. This is that album.

I'm the first person to admit that an album with previously heard tracks seems like a ripoff. In my mind, it's like issuing a second EP with the first one added as bonus tracks. The typical 2-year wait of a full-length from any band far exceeds in excitement the often spur-of-the-moment announcement of an EP. And this is why, when I saw the tracklist for this album, I felt disappointed. Figuring I'd at least check out the "new" songs scattered throughout, I gave the CD a listen. To my surprise, the old songs sounded better in their jumbled reappearance alongside the rest of the tracks than they did alone. The thing is, this album is packed like a snowball, and it's definitely gonna gain some speed as such.

Indie keyboard rock has a hard time sounding original anymore, but Deas Vail are apparently natural successes. In simple terms this album is pop, but it's the unique method of delivery that makes the indie rock band so different from teen idols. Deas Vail could be any of today's pop-rock bands with a different line-up. Childs' bass punctuates songs with clinching wit; Harelson's punchy drumming appropriately balances typical and atypical beats; Moore's guitar jangles in scattering resonance, glinting off glassy waves only to churn out distorted chords a minute later; Hudson's keyboard provides depth to the song by adding weather to the songs, which fill in the gaps of air between the other instruments; and Wes Blaylock's vocals are so airy, so light, so angelic, that they float like a cloud above the rest of the band, suspended by the strata beneath. Blaylock's falsetto reminds me of Jona Bjerre of Mew when note-to-note with the keyboard, yet his voice is much more versatile, not to mention that it's pitch-perfect live.

Sure, there's room for improvement here, but this album is better than I had expected it to be. One or two of the songs lack strong choruses, but the verses cover that angle instead. The solid, catchy, substantially original indie pop/rock benefits well from Mark Lee Townsend's expert production, which is as good as it gets. Everything about this CD makes it a good move on young Brave New World's part. Expect to hear more in the future about this young band.