The nation is at a crossroads, singer/songwriter John Vento sings about in his new single “America (The Saints Come Marching Home)”. A song of distress and yearning, Vento exhales much of the nation’s sentiment in his Americana/rock and roll tune. Struck by the increased extremism (on both sides), Pennsylvania’s Vento strikes a loud and powerful cadence into the night. Vento’s depth is further felt from the passionate percussion and native calling.
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Pouncing on the listener like a preacher standing tall at the pulpit, Vento’s staunch voice is one that can be heard from the rafters. He doesn’t yell, his voice is one of reason and fortitude. Vento reminds me of a folk rock singer like Neil Young or Stephen Stills. He also has the brashness of John Cafferty (John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band). You can hear the toil and the years of playing bars and rowdy stages alike in his vocal delivery. It’s interesting and somehow it makes him sound American.
Vento rewards the listener with thought-provoking lyrics. The plugged-in acoustic guitar gushing throughout the song relents only to the lines like blood on their swords…America, America…the saints come marching home, the holy ghost is on his knees, crushed by sticks and stones, yeah, hey, yeah! He later sings a hurricane coming on a federal freight train, his voice emphasizing the first syllables in each like he’s raising his fists for freedom. All the while he’s singing and the guitar strums, an eerie flute beckons. It’s like it’s the call of the ancestors to congregate.
His backing vocalist, a lovely voice that in an oh-so-subtle way adds a delicate charm to Vento’s harder shell. He’s not abrasive by any means, but his baritone approach commands a certain reaction. Her approach, very much like the harmonies and chemistry you hear between Patti Scialfa and Bruce Springsteen, brings a unique joy to this track. Vento, who wrote “America (The Saints Come Marching Home)” with Frank Ferraro, allows the lyrics to really seep in, and leaves enough breathing room for this female voice to marinate for the listener. At times Vento sings as if he were using a loudspeaker or megaphone and it reminded me of hearing voices at a rally or protest. I found that to be clever – it definitely added more depth to the song and kept the listener on their toes. I also found this to give me more, as a listener, more emotional investment in the two distinctly different voices. I kept wanting to hear more.
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“America (The Saints Come Marching Home)” is one killer song. It has all the great cravings of a classic rock song, a provocative roots or folk track and frankly, an American poem. I think Vento could have gotten away with a few more verses and explored additional stanzas, but I will take this as it is. “America (The Saints Come Marching Home)” definitely marches to the beat of its own drum. Listeners will fall into line – any side of the aisle can agree Vento is quite successful.
Jodi Marxbury