- Bryon Harris
Ezra Vancil – ‘Complicated Man’
Ezra Vancil is a seasoned artist that is returning to his acoustic Americana roots after spending most of his musical life as an indie-rock frontman. His newest album, ‘You,’ touches upon his own experiences with love, relationships, and marriage through lyrical themes and emotive vocals. Calling this album a “History of Love,” Ezra opens a window into the wounded heart’s pilgrimage through life bringing listeners on a spectacular musical journey. His song, “Complicated Man,” is a perfect example off of this album to showcase Ezra’s stellar sound.
The song begins with and up-tempo intro played finger-style on acoustic guitar that creates an energetic start to the song. The arrangement is built upon with light hand percussion and layers of harmonic vocals before it transitions softly into the first verse. As the instrumentals back off, Ezra enters singing, “I got all my friends /and I don’t need no other kind /their hearts are all beating /All at once,” showcasing his warm, brushed vocals in soothing melodies and heartwarming lyrics. As the verse progresses, the arrangement builds intro a captivating combination of layers of strings, various forms of percussion, and bass.
“Complicated Man” gives a look at the earlier stages of Ezra falling in love. He reflects on his own thoughts at the time when he was vulnerable and first falling for a friend. In the main chorus, Ezra bridges over from the verse singing, “But /She don’t really know me /She’d never understand /She don’t know me /I’m a complicated man,” in a captivating moment with infectious lyrics and melodies bolstered by lush female vocal harmonies. In the latter half of the song, Ezra diverges into a bridge section creating a dynamic moment in the song that pulls from different influences before falling back into the final verse.
With songs like “Complicated Man,” Ezra will easily win over listeners with his earthy, story-like vocal timbre and quality songwriting. His music is available for fans via Bandcamp. For more information on Ezra, please visit his website.