On his third release, “Sedatives and Alcohol,” Laguna Beach native VinnLombardo takes it all off emotionally. Abandoning the full-band sound that he once fronted with assurance, the singer-songwriter travels a quieter, more exposed path, armed only with his acoustic guitar and his heavy heart.
The track evolves into a gentle haze of folk and country, conjuring a mood that is both tender and torn. There’s a raw storytelling installed in gentle strums and tasteful chord shifts. It’s the sort of song that doesn’t ask for your attention so much as it earns it by reaching into the deepest, most private corners of a listener.
VinnLombardo’s voice is scratchy-tinged but inviting, a late-night confession over one last drink. He’s always performing with a whisper, never in a hurry, as if every word has weight because it does. There’s a heartrending human ache in this track, a portrayal of someone trying to numb the hurt but doing so with devastating self-awareness. This is a song for long drives down open roads, for cold nights and quiet mornings. It’s for whoever has ever tried to numb the thing that hurts, only to have it still be waiting there.
This release seems like a letter VinnLombardo wrote to himself and then decided to share with the rest of us. It’s a brave move for an artist crossing the frontman line to take on solo vocals, but it’s also the kind of move that earns respect. He’s not hiding behind a wall of sound, and he’s not leaning on memories. Instead, he’s out in the open, vulnerable and steady, with a song that says a lot with hushed tones.
On “Sedatives and Alcohol,” VinnLombardo demonstrates that perhaps the loudest thing you can do is whisper the truth. This single not only signals another step in his solo quest but also cements his authorial credibility as a storyteller who isn’t afraid to bleed a little in pursuit of the art.
Connect with VinnLombardo on Instagram – @vinnlombardo
