Get lost in Vegyn’s 'The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions’
By: MaryBeth Reust
The first time I heard Vegyn was in 2019 when me and my friend Sadie were sitting on the living room couch of my first college home. We were attempting to do homework while listening to her playlist “Songs 2 Code 2” off of her laptop. We failed to stay on track, getting distracted by every song that started to play and every topic that spurred from it. When “It’s Nice to Be Alive” by Vegyn began to play, I was instantly hooked. I’m a sucker for an electronic pop song, especially if it incorporates strings. But this one felt different than others I was into at the time; it felt more reflective, bubbly, and sad all in one.
I listened to all of Vegyn’s first album, Only Diamonds Cut Diamonds, throughout the rest of that week and fell in love with these songs that allowed my imagination to roam free in a way that felt natural and relaxing. They helped me get through many moments of anxiety and sadness. I also fell in love with his story: a London-based DJ and producer whose real name is Joe Thornalley. He helped produce Frank Ocean’s Endless and Blonde and founded a record company in London called PLZ Make It Ruins. Now, five years later, he has released his second album titled The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions, and I instantly fell in love, again. It’s been a while since Sadie and I were sitting on that couch, and when the nostalgia and thoughts of time passing by becomes intense and overwhelming, this album seems to seep through every thought that comes into my brain and replace it with the words, “let go.”
Photo: Zamar Velez
The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions begins with the song “A Dream Goes On Forever” featuring John Glacier, a London-based singer, producer, and poet who stood out right away. Her voice is warm and soothing, yet her words are powerful. Over Vegyn’s sparkling, immersive synths and mellow, captivating drums, she sings, “I’m looking at the water flow / and it glimmers in the light / And the sun’s still shining.” This track feels like fresh air, one where you can just listen and sway and breathe. You can put on your headphones, go on a walk, and let all the negative thoughts drain away. It is my favorite song off of the album. The energy picks up a bit in “Another 9 Days” which features British musician and songwriter Ethan P. Flynn. The drums seem to rattle around in your head, and Flynn’s deep voice combined with Vegyn’s dreamy beats creates a song full of optimism with a twinge of sadness.
Following these first two tracks is “Turn Me Inside,” which includes soft, hypnotizing vocals by singer-songwriter and producer Léa Sen, who sings over an instrumental of sweet, pensive chords and sticky drums. “Halo Flip,” featuring British songwriter and producer Lauren Auder, is a longer song with hazy synths, fast drum beats, beautiful strings, and comforting lyrics such as, “And even when you disappear, you know that you can come right back / And when your fear starts creeping in, well, you can call like that.” The end of this song is one of my favorite parts of the whole album; the synths take over, reminding me to welcome love and accept that change doesn’t always equal disaster and loss. It’s quite a consoling ending to a larger-than-life track.
The next track, “Everything Is The Same,” combines strings with biting drums, a combination that Vegyn excels in. “The Path Less Travelled” and “Makeshift Tourniquet,” are more upbeat tracks, yet they are still intimate and thoughtful. Both music videos showcase pairs of dancers in cinematic environments that further emphasize the themes of connection, enjoying the present, and letting go. “A Path Less Travelled” is playful and twinkly. “Makeshift Tourniquet” has a more house-feel that you experience in your chest, urging you to get up and get moving. These songs are followed by another brighter, sentimental track, “Time Well Spent,” which has a nice texture to it. It sounds a bit like something that would come out in the 90s or early 2000s.
John Glacier returns on “In The Front'' with raw, poetic lyrics such as, “I've seen plenty roads, travel like I'm set in plain / I'm set in stone like I'll never change / The way the play churns in a steady lane / I'm getting old, least I'm getting paid.” The far-away vocals mixed with the percussion and strings creates a song that feels very trance-like. “Trust,” also feels like a daze, consisting of relaxing piano chords and smooth vocals by Matt Maltese, which transitions into “Stress Test,” a moody guitar track. “Last Night I Dreamt I Was Alone” feels more experimental and atmospheric, almost wavering in where it wants to go. “Unlucky for Some…” is an ambient track just over a minute long, finishing off the daydream of an album. It reminds me of waking up from a long nap: relaxed, but a little out of it. The whole end of this album is a bit meditative.
Overall, even with the multitude of textures and sounds, The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions feels like an escape from all the noise. Vegyn’s talent and storytelling is heavenly. It helps me understand that, although change can’t be avoided, I can go outside, move around, or connect with other human beings to get through the tough times. Vegyn’s music is a reminder that in moments of anxiety and sadness, nothing feels better than letting go and surrendering to human connection.