“Tricks of Life Medley”, the most recently released single from Dave Vamfer, is all about moving. He references this fact in the hook (“sometimes you need a little kick to move on”). He personifies this fact in the music, with an assortment of instruments—most eminently including the bass and the guitars—moving and grooving, not infrequently in unison.

And, he certainly embodies this concept in the vocal booth with a reflective, experienced delivery that makes his cogency all the more tangible, despite the fact that one is only listening to him on record.

Purely in terms of instrumentation, this song is a rush—literally and figuratively. The bass is throbbing with action, with a pronunciation so lucid, and moving, as it were, that it oftentimes supplies the lows without the drums (which are actually mixed almost faintly sometimes).

Helmed by either session musicians or Vamfer himself—the liner notes are a little equivocal—it’s certainly rapid enough to get people out of their seats when they hear it. Moreover, the electric guitars certainly catch the spirit and seem to rival the bass for the sheer rapidity of their movement. Finally, the tune kicks in and cuts out in under three minutes, finishing on top with a flurry of instrumentation that seemingly echoes itself in its wake when it abruptly ceases.

It certainly sounds like Vamfer’s joined in the vocal booth by a young lady or two on the harmonies, the latter floating an airy soprano just over his own singing. But there are other musicians who are cooking things up in the cauldron of motion of which this tune encompasses, including some wizard on the organ who’s work crescendos in moments, punctuating the tune with a sense of personality. Yet another musican picks up the sax and gets to blowing in such a way that the organ seems engaged with it in a friendly competition in which the track is the clear victor.

These instruments, their playing, and their expression, provide the kick Vamfer mentions, while he himself brings the movement to the music.

Breaking & Entering - Milwaukee Review

https://breakingandentering.net/2022/05/02/tricks-of-life-medley-moves-well-for-dave-vamfer/

by Deuce May2 2022

As a musician these days you really have to resort to some form of tricks to get noticed, particularly if you have an upcoming album release.

Yet, even that will not do, unless you come up with something inventive that will have to include your music. Oh, and that music has to be good, one way or the other.

UK singer-songwriter Dave Vamfer has an upcoming album, and to promote it, Vamfer came up with the idea to roll out a medley of three songs from the album and mod them into one title – “Tricks of Life Medley.”

Medleys in general are a tricky concept if they sound like just pieces of a few songs torn out and just bundled up together, particularly if any or all of these pieces amount up to scratch.

Yet Vamfer, who is obviously an artist that has a good ear for a pop melody and ........ is able to mod brief elements of three of his songs from his forthcoming album into one (and under a three minutes mark) that sounds wholly integrated .......

Living Life Fearless Blog Review by Liubinko Zvkovic May2 2022

https://livinglifefearless.co/2022/opinions/dave-vamfer-tricks-of-life-medley-review/