Review: The Vanity Project

It seems to be inevitable. The shelves are filled with the side projects and solo efforts that musicians roll out once thier band gets some recognition. Sicne they seem to blossom from inflated egos, it takes someone with a pretty grounded perspective and deep sense of humor to title his solo effort The Vanity Project

When you’re recording, you have to put a name on tapes, and I put that on jokingly at first,” says Page. “But I kept coming back to it, because I wanted to convey the fact that it’s not really a ‘band’ in the standard sense. It’s always been a fantasy of mine to have something I could be involved with, bringing in different people to collaborate from album to album. (Page’s myspace site)

An album of songs penned by Page and Steven Duffy, the album is a mixture of smart wit, humor, and profound lyrics, all of which drew me to Barenaked Ladies at first, and now makes The Vanity Project one of my most played CDs of late.

“So. Cal.” is one an example of Page at his best. He starts with well-dressed lyrics that sing of the despair and disappointment that come from chasing the LA dream. They are backed with a melody that is light, playful, and reminiscent of the beach movies of the sixties. It’s a brilliant contrast and very sing-able song.

In Contrast “That’s All, That’s All” is a soft ballad that wanes poetically about losing love. It’s one of those standards that you play over and over as you cry over losing the “great love” of your life. “the misery chords weep from a radio ignored,” not only speaks of the heartbreak, but shows just what a talented poet Page is.

Article Author: Connie Phillips

Wife, mother, aspiring novelist, and music editor at BC Magazine, Connie Phillips spends most of her time in a fantasy land of her own creating. In reality, she writes about music, television, and the process of writing, when she's not cheering on her kids at equestrian events. …

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