An Irresistible Dynamic Duo: Victoria Vox and her Jumping Flea
Victoria Vox is irresistible! I’ve seen her play twice, and both times she pleased the audience with a score of original, energy-packed songs buffered by stories of her life on the road. Miss Vox, who looks to be in her early 20’s, is addicted to touring, which a glance at her upcoming gig calendar can attest to.
Her youthful energy provides the backbone for “Victoria Vox and Her Jumping Flea”, an intense ukulele-based album. On the album, Vox sings with the maturity of a mo-town legend while strumming away on her ukulele, which she calls her “Jumping Flea.”
Victoria Vox
The album starts out with the perfect twist of tongue-in-cheek humor and solid musicianship on Ukulele Lady when she sings:
If you like a Ukulele lady,
A ukulele lady like me will like you.
The album then turns to a sweet as Lake Wobegon rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World, an arrangement made famous by ukulele legend, Israel Kamakawiwo. Though she lacks the sort of urgency that only death can bring to a song (Israel died a sudden and early death in 1997), Victoria sings with flair and her powerful vocals take the song to a place that Israel would be proud of.
Vox showcases her formidable songwriting talent on the album’s best track, Dreamin’ ‘Bout You. On this song, she really stretches her vocal chords while keeping the beat with an almost hypnotic strumming of her jumping flea.
The album ends with a song about hope, Christmas With You. On this song, Vox sings about how she wants to make it home to spend Christmas with a special someone, someone whom I reluctantly admit is probably her boyfriend.
Summary: This is Victoria Vox’s sixth album, and her maturity as a songwriter shine through in a unique fashion. Plus, she tours a hell of a lot, which gives her some credibility in my book.