(Microgroove/Warner, 2009)
“If you struggle in logic and feeling
Generational gaps are revealing
Don’t lose sight of the ones who have loved you
You’re only as strong as the love that builds you
The love that built you”
End-of-the-year lists are beautiful things. Whether you want to admit it or not, they are a valuable resource. So instead of starting a flame war on how atrocious a “best of list” is, do yourself a favor and instead absorb what you can from it, and move on to the next one to see what goodies you can find.
In my foray into some lists earlier I came across a real gem by a Canadian act known as Jets Overhead. Surprisingly I haven’t heard of them prior even though their first LP Bridges earned them a Juno nomination for “New Group of the Year” in 2006. The gem I speak of is their sophomore album No Nations (Album cover above). I love bands that utilize both male and female vocals. This band does that with lead singers Adam Kittredge and Antonia Freybe-Smith.
The album opens with the track “I Should Be Born”. A very earthy and ambient mid-tempo rock song that sets the album in motion with Antonia heading the vocals. When you hit the second track “Heading For Nowhere” the energy amps up and Alex takes center stage. Vocals become pseudo-instruments for the band, so to speak, and in a good way. Each person filling a different hole, and when juxtaposed together magic occurs. You get this early 70’s rock vibe that is very welcomed.
Pace and melody are the driving forces behind this album. What this LP delivers is a cohesive vision that isn’t demanding but easygoing. The third track, and notably my favorite of the bunch, “Weathervanes (In the Way)”, is hauntingly beautiful. It is a slower tune, with the music more mellow. The change in mood here is handled delicately, and Alex sings intelligently, knowing where to take his voice and how long to hold a note; as the music swoons and swells to create a stellar soft ballad that carries you right into the titular track “No Nations”.
In fact, intelligent is another way to describe No Nations. It’s the musical equivalent of a majestic cinema experience. Repeated listens unwrap more and more details, as there is a lot going on in the background musically. And once familiarity settles in you can begin to hear the more subtle nuances sprinkled throughout. Jets Overhead are actually making a bold statement here while crafting their very own unique sound. That statement is that you can have classic rock with mellower tunes as long as you master the balancing act. On their closing track, “Tired of the Comfort”, we are treated with a seven minute opus. It begins with an ambient and electric loop and then opens into a fuzzy and distorted guitar base that fuses with steady percussion and insular vocals. The fever catches on and things get hectic and loud as the waves of music are crashing around you; but everything still falls into the right place. It is ordered chaos that captures the essence of the entire album.
Jets Overhead crept up on me, but at just the right time, as they have the pleasure of earning the first post on my new blog here. Do yourself a favor and listen to No Nations. And while you are at it head over to their webpage, you can click the album cover above to go there. You’ll find their complete first album, Bridges, and their self-titled EP there to download. For free.
I give this album a:
4.5/5
Also, check out their Myspace page.
Shyvin
catfishfriend
