Vincent, Phil: Hypocrite

Usually releasing one, if not two albums a year, melodic rocker Phil Vincent is, if nothing else, prolific. Hypocrite is actually the singing, guitar playing, keyboard bashing, percussion crashing and bass abusing man’s 21st solo album, which by anyone’s standards is an incredible feat. What is often less incredible is the end result, for while there’s plenty to like on Hypocrite, there’s not so much to truly remember. For me the main culprits causing that situation come twofold, with the production by Vincent (obviously) being flat and lifeless, while the drum and keyboard sounds are far too staid and formulaic. In fact, as with many of Vincent’s projects (he also steer the bands Cranston, Chinawhite, Tragik and D’Ercole) my first instinct was to check to see if the drums were being played a real person or a machine. For this album Dirk Phillips is credited in that department, so why the “She’s Nobody’s Angel� Tobruk rip-off that is “Nobody’s Gonna Miss You� has a snare sound straight from an 80s drum programme, who knows?

In the guitar department, one-time Bob Catley sideman and Legion six-stringer Vince O’Regan and fellow Phil Vincent collaborator and Cranston guitarist Peter Cox lend a hand with the solos and it has to be said that they do a good job in enhancing proceedings. Vincent himself offers up reliable and rocking riffs that work hard to hit all the right spots and with the main man himself also toning down his Don Dokken-isms behind the mic into a more refined Kip Winger like croon, both those bands become a touching point when you traverse the ground between the mid-paced crunch and keys of “Waste Of Time� or the more energetic gallop of “Broken�.

Where things veer into slightly less expected territory is on the more keyboard oriented offerings, “Back In The Day� and especially “Never Enough� feeling like they missed the cut for the self-titled Bon Jovi album. Although neither come anywhere near that class. The latter of those two, along with the kick-drum thumping “Caught In The Act� also suffer the rather unwanted affliction of allowing their hammering kick-drum shenanigans to veer way too close to dance anthem nonsense. Which on an album like this really isn’t a good look.

Phil Vincent wears his heart on his sleeve and puts his influences straight in your face. The observation that often comes his way is that this multi-talented multi-instrumentalist really should focus on quality over quantity. However, anyone who can release 21 solo albums must have a core fanbase that keeps on coming back for more. In all honesty, while still enjoying his output I can’t really put myself in that category. Hypocrite sums things up perfectly for me, being yet another well intentioned effort that undoubtedly ticks all the boxes it’s meant to. Unfortunately, that in itself is one of the reasons that it’s also destined to be quickly forgotten.

Track Listing
1. Broken
2. Back In The Day
3. What Might Have Been
4. Nobody's Gonna Miss You
5. Waste Of Time
6. Caught In The Act
7. Long Way Down
8. Time Will Tell
9. Untitled
10. Prima Donna
11. Never Enough
12. Hypocrite

Added: October 23rd 2019
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Phil Vincent on bandcamp
Hits: 606
Language: english

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