Vago What I Can’t Do
Vago has a new album of rock tunes with loads of hard driving energy, What I Can’t Do. Vago is a band fronted by Danny Vago, that has roots in both Nebraska and in the North Carolina music scene. This album’ll make you feel like you’re at a live outdoor rock show in the heat of summer.
Album opener, “Talkin’ About,” is a fight song as lead singer Danny Vago belts out: “you don’t know what I’m talking about,” and the other person has always had everything handed to them. Danny sings about bustin’ out of limiting constraints and following his true calling: “this song was in my heart a long time ago.”
“A Kiss” is a song of hope: “she had rings on every finger but for one, she lit up the room like a summer sun.” All she wanted was a kiss.
On “Si Te Veo,” there’s some trumpet in this song about someone crossing the border from Mexico, a song of coming home for Christmas, across the desert and risking being shot. The title track is a heavy confessional “I can’t write a love song, but I could break a heart or two. Why don’t I break your heart for you?” This is one of the times when Danny Vago’s vocals break on the high notes and sound like Petty.
“Falling Over” sets up a heavy rhythm and a song of struggling just to make it through and you can hear a little echoes of Roger Cline & the Peacemakers’ style. “Stories” sets up a nice little melodious electric guitar lick.
This album is up-tempo and heavy hitting with a full band. It would be interesting to see what some of these songs would sound like in more of a mid tempo or slower pace set within an unvarnished acoustic setting. There are two bonus tracks on the CD and streaming that are not included on the vinyl copy. Find more details, show dates and information here on his website: https://dannyvago.com/
Musicians on the album are Danny Vago on lead vocals, guitar and piano; Tom Burns on bass, mandolin and backing vocals; Lee Gambrel on drums & percussion; with Jon Flanagan on trumpet on “Si Te Veo.”
What I Can’t Do was recorded at ARC Studios and Screen Door Studios in Omaha with bonus tracks recorded at Enamel Studio, Omah, NE. It was engineered and mixed by Jim Homan and mastered by Doug Van Sloun at Focus Mastering with artwork by Max Riffner.