Artist: Flaunt, featuring Justin Jennings and Joseph Vitterito
Album: Rave Noir
Fearlessly exposing your distinct and authentic feelings can often times leave you emotionally vulnerable and susceptible to being hurt by the people who supposedly care about you the most. But passionately chronicling and freely sharing those sentiments with the world can powerfully allow you to move past your pain. Justin Jennings and Joseph Vitterito, the duo who makes up the indie-alt pop-rock band, Flaunt, are inspirationally doing just that with their latest album, ‘Rave Noir.’ The Independent Music Award-winning synth group has effortlessly created an eclectic selection of songs that alluringly detail the relatable pain and joy that equally drive relationships, and make people question how they’ll survive those connections.
The first enticing track on ‘Rave Noir’ is the thought-provoking ‘Rave On,’ which begins with a gripping and intense synth introduction. Fueled by a riveting electronic synthesizer and drum, the song enthralling notes the musicians’ feelings of having never felt alive. They also painfully note that they have given up on being a true friend to someone in their lives. They also stunningly admit that their thoughts aren’t their own anymore, and no longer can positively contribute to the relationship.
The initial entry then merges into the carefree vibe of one of the best songs on the record, ‘I Don’t Wanna Fall Asleep.’ Fueled by a rock guitar riff that’s reminiscent of the music that was popular in the 1960s, the record’s vocals have become more care-free and up-tempo. While the singers passionately admit that they’re afraid their new connections to the women they’ve recently bonded with are short-lived, they also try to enjoy the time they do have left together as much as they can.
The album then delves into the darker and more melodramatic song, ‘Restraint,’ whose lyrics and instrumentals unfortunately don’t live up to the music that’s presented in the album’s immediate predecessor. Fueled by a routine keyboard introduction, the vocals, which belatedly don’t begin until the track hits the minute-and-thirty-second mark, unfortunately don’t provide any unique insight into the pain over being betrayed by someone you trust. Flunt’s musicians also unmemorably sing about how they’re looking for the quickest escape from their relationship, as the women they’ve been with no longer has any self-control, restrain or respect. Unfortunately, the track ultimately fails to convey any true sense of pain and turmoil that Jennings and Vitterito are ultimately able to overcome.
The musicians are fortunately able to quickly redeem themselves, and showcase their true versatility, on the album’s next entry, ‘Jungle,’ which is one of the most noteworthy new songs from the duo. The singers chronicle how fighting their personal pain has ultimately slowed their momentum in their lives, and they can never go back to the way things used to be. While the guitar and back-up instruments occasionally over-power the otherwise gripping vocals, the musician’s realization that they can’t control every aspect of their lives is theatrical enough that the overall sound will surely motivate crowds during live performances of the track.
‘I Haven’t Thought About You Yet’ is another enticing effort from Flaunt, as it intriguingly also showcases Jennings and Vitterito’s vulnerabilities through its alluring vocals and acoustic and rock guitar. As the duo reflects on the painful fact that they haven’t heard from the women they live in days, they’re able to appreciate that they haven’t connected with anyone else as much, despite their best efforts, in the alluring indie pop song.
‘Rave Noir’ continues with its versatility and distinct sounds through the hard rock song, ‘Didn’t Know It Would Be This Way.’ The track, which has the potential to be a hit radio single, relies on the signature rock instrumentals and vocals that helped make similar bands popular in the 1990s, and powerfully notes how the duo’s always run from their pain. But with the aid of riveting guitar riffs and enthralling vocals, the musicians infused relatable emotion into the realization that love could be so gratifying.
While ‘Didn’t Know It Would Be This Way’ embraces the appeal of committing to love, Flaunt’s captivating album begins to wind down with the up-tempo penultimate drum-infused entry, ‘You Sure Know How To Hurt Someone.’ The song heartbreakingly chronicles the promise a woman made to love the man she was with, but then overtly turned her back on her word. The duo disappointingly note that she naturally knows how to cause pain, and acts like the man she was with was never there, as she’s never ready to take a chance on romance with him.
Courageously revealing your genuine feelings can often times leave you emotionally vulnerable and susceptible to being hurt by the people who supposedly care about you the most. But passionately chronicling and freely sharing those sentiments with the world can powerfully allow you to move past your pain. Jennings and Vitterito are inspirationally doing just that with Flaunt’s latest album, ‘Rave Noir.’ The synth group has naturally created an eclectic selection of tracks that alluringly detail the relatable pain and joy that equally drive relationships, and make people question how they’ll survive those connections, for their captivating new release.
For more information on Flaunt, visit the band’s official website, as well as its Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and SoundCloud pages. Listen to ‘Rave Noir’ below.
Written by: Karen Benardello