 Transition.
Transitory.
Transitional.
Words which define constant states of movement, change and evolution.
For the North Carolina-based vocal quintet Transit, they live up to the definition with their self-titled debut EP. According to their Myspacetm page (myspace.com/transitvocalband), the group produces "music that moves you." I agree. I was moved to laughter, tears, despair, bewilderment, disappointment, jealousy and one feeling that I still can't put into words.
Listening to the CARA-nominated recording, I was hit with a barrage of experiences and emotions—some good, some bad—all coalescing into a wild cacophony of agony and pleasure. "Transit" is a mélange of rock, urban, alternative and pop hits—giving you a taste of what's in their repertoire and leaving you hungry for more.
Transit features tenors Brent Stephens and Nick Lyons, the versatile Joseph Bates, vocal percussionist James Wallace and bass/baritone Dave Sperandio. The band consists of guys who are all masterful musicians, producers, technicians and vocalists. Expectations have been set high for this talented bunch. More often than not, they deliver the goods in spades. Bates directs the group and constructs the arrangements in a way that makes the human voice the star. Even with all of the production accolades and technical experience in the group, the basic talent is their singing ability. It shows.
The cover of Muse's "Supermassive Black Hole" opens the EP with a techno-organic sound wave. The song shakes you awake with a pile-driven rhythm section lead by Bates and Wallace. Soaring in the stratosphere is the sublime Stephens. He makes you moan in a good way, dancing alone in your room with wild abandon. The song is a great opening number, but sets up a rocky transition into the next song: a little known tune that is much more somber.
I jest. I'm sure all of you reading this review have thoroughly ingested their cover of "Hide and Seek." To be honest, when I first heard it more than a year ago, I didn't like it. Hate is a strong word (and one that I'll save for a different track). I just wasn't impressed; I could take it or leave it, as it was nothing very special. I hadn't been clued in on the Imogen Heap tip. Then, there was a group dance number on this barely-watched show called "So You Think You Can Dance," and I understood. I got it, I got their version and I was changed. While I'm hesitant to call theirs "definitive" (I’m partial to TakeNote's version for some reason), but it has become fantastic. Guest vocalist Jillian Bauman from the UNC Loreleis adds a compelling feminine bravura to their testosterone-laden boys' club.
For me, the two missteps on the album are "Vehicle" and "Can't Get Next to You." Both came across as sounding atypical of what I would expect from them as a group. I simply hated “Vehicle.” Sperandio's histrionic navel-gazing was a bit much on the solo, and the backing vocals seemed too sparse. I understand better why the latter track was included. There aren't many top-notch songs which also showcases each vocal part that are as fun to sing as "Can't." Though again, the sorely missed female-group Dilemma's cover edges theirs out in brashness and balls.
Ah Sperandio--I've been listening to him sing since he was a freshman at UNC many years ago. While he was in the UNC Clef Hangers and Vocal Tonic, his vocal prowess shone brightest on up-tempo ballads like "Hey Jealousy" and "Whisper." Strangely enough, the same holds true here with the CARA-nominated, pathos-filled original tune "Whispers." Songwriting is an autobiographical art, and the emotional pain that he exposes about a failed relationship resonates with anyone who has loved big and lost big.
Jealousy is the only thought that comes to mind when listening to "In the Graveyard." I pine daily to have a voice as angelic as Bates' tenor. When you pair that with the fact that he sings bass on "Supermassive," "Vehicle," "Whispers" and "Can't," you can understand where the jealousy starts. Not only can the guy craft stunning arrangements (he wrote the music for "Whispers" and the outrageously spectacular CARA-nominated "Nevermind" for the Duke Pitchforks), he can sing the hell out of them as well.
However, the song that leaves me truly speechless and at a loss for a witty descriptor is the CARA-nominated cover of Marc Broussard's "Home." Lyons evokes the spirit with a gutsy solo that has to be heard to be believed. His bandmates crank it up enough to provide ample stomping ground for him to shake the devil out of you. The ending didn't pack the punch needed for an album closer, but on its own, I cursed them and sang their praises for giving the audience a track that's just this side of perfect.
Transit leaves you in a state of flux. What are these guys really all about? As the CARA nominations attest, the pat answer is that they are in transit, situated to take over the future of a cappella, while not intent on being pigeonholed into a specific subset of the genre. As listeners, we're all the better for that drive and determination. I can't wait to see where their journey takes us.
Thomas King (TeKay) is the former Associate Editor of the CAN. He has been a RARB reviewer for five years, worked as the ICCA producer for the South Region, judged NCHSA and SoJam competitions and CARA awards. He performed with Carolina Tar Heel Voices, The Accidentals of North Carolina and hearsay. As well, he's performed with Broadway stars like Ben Vereen, Rosie O'Donnell, Norm Lewis, John Tartaglia, Billy Porter, Terrance Mann and Miss America Kate Shindle.
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