We love unconventional stories of how people find their way to music here at Unrecorded and the background of singer-songwriter Vintz Desert is a new one. This Maryland musician was serving in the Marine Corps when he decided to fine tune his storytelling craft through the flexible medium of vocals and guitar. Those two elements are undoubtedly the central tenants of his sweeping indie-folk sound in new single ‘Enemy’.
It begins as we imagine many of Desert‘s songs do behind closed doors, with deftly plucked acoustic guitar and his open, vulnerable voice, although post-recording it’s accentuated with rich reverb. The space around his voice and string conveys that sense of honesty, but also solitude, because ‘Enemy’ is ultimately about waiting to give yourself over to love until you’re the best version of yourself. The lyrics are particularly poignant here, such as the opening line “there’s something in the water, holding me down, the claws digging deeper and deeper,” which can be read as a metaphor for a battle with one’s inner demons.
Just when you think that this track couldn’t be any more beautiful, Desert is joined by the lilting voice of Laura Lucas whose words mirror our lead protagonist’s sentiment and confirms that none of us are alone in this inert fight. Almost at the same time, a full band backing steps in to full those empty sonic spaces, creating a welcoming and reassuring atmosphere.
When we were introduced to Vintz Desert, his music was put to us as “beautifully melancholic”, but we’d like to counter that argument and instead say it’s beautifully hopeful.
‘Enemy’ is the second single from the artist’s upcoming debut EP which drops later this month on May 20th, so be sure to mark that in your calendars.
You can also listen to ‘Enemy’ in our Folk This Way playlist.
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