AWmusic

I like oddities. I like things that are different and a little twisted. And I like quaint as meaning pleasantly odd, eccentric or unconventional as well as the more common meaning of old-fashioned or sweetly charming. I like singer/songwriters, a lot more now than for the past few decades or so. It seems the popularity of singer/songwriters ebbs and flows and for the last few years, thanks to Jarvis Cocker, Bon Ivor, Ray LaMontagne, A.A. Bondy etc. it has made a welcome resurgence. The fact that I like singer/songwriters isn’t really surprising since a lot of my youth was spent listening to singer/songwriters such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cockburn, Scott Merritt (some of you might know that name but for most it will be unfamiliar but he would top my list as an unconventional songwriter), Bob Dylan, Ian and Sylvia and Willie P. Bennett to name a few and to date me. I still love punk/grunge/rock/experimental/electronic…well just about anything that has a rhythm but over the last year or so I seem to have returned to my roots.

All this is just a pre-amble into why I like Jadiid’s (pronounced Ja-deed) album It’s Ok, Be Anxious, it is a return to smart song-writing with a folk/roots/soul sound but with an occasional foray into the odd end of the pool. These songs have an anachronistic bent to them but are saved from sounding old-fashioned by the use of more modern techniques and contemporary electric guitar/drum lines. Given that these songs are acoustic based (even when electric guitars are in evidence) it would be easy for them to be mellow to the point of banality but Matt Boll, Jake Boll, Enoch Kim and Kevin Sparks wisely never let that happen (although I understand that Enoch Kim is no longer with the band). The songs are kept interesting by the use of guitar interplay, horns, vocal changes and stylistic change-ups – from ballads to poppier melodies. And I have to admit that I am a sucker for the horns on this album. They are beautifully intertwined with the melody and bring an almost haunting grace to the songs. This is perfectly highlighted on Something to Follow, the trumpet adding a certain melancholy to a dark reflection on the frailties of being human.

The strength of the album lies in Matt Boll’s vocals. His voice is rich and warm with a world-weary tenderness that never goes down the bad side into cynicism and boredom. Matt’s vocal’s are placed wisely front and centre in the mix, the instruments lend the appropriate support and grounding that never allows Matt’s vocals to become too overpowering or to drift away. His voice is so smooth and soothing with such a kind and sincere tone to it that, to be honest, I could just sit and listen to it all afternoon. This is a good thing, too, since the songs are all around the four minute mark. Matt also has a clear and uncomplicated phrasing and pronunciation that allows the lyrics, which are above average, to be heard. I think my favourite might be from Parlour Tricks, “it’s not like I won’t miss you if you go, but there’s nothing wrong with resignation most of the time” or maybe “and these dreams are filled with love (life) and bones, and the kids in us are looking old” from 04.14.09 (One by One) or maybe “I don’t need you like I thought I did” from On a Hill which kind of has an Arcade Fire vibe to it.

This album is not without it’s problems, most notably there are some production problems. The mix can sound a bit uneven at times and there is a bit of tinniness but I don’t know if that was intentional or not. These are small problems, really, and didn’t really impact my enjoyment of the album as a whole. There is also a bit of unevenness in the quality of the songs but, again, even the songs that aren’t quite as good as the best aren’t so bad that I wanted to skip them. With the singer/songwriter genre coming into it’s own again, and being inundated with offerings from everyone and their brother this album does stand out as one of the better contributions. I have to admit that some of the songs took me a bit before I really appreciated them but I’m glad I gave them a chance.

You can find Jadiid in the usual places, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and on their own website. You can buy It’s Ok, Be Anxious on iTunes and Bandcamp. Jadiid has also released two EP’s, Monument and Music for Winter – a six-song EP of Christmas music that is very good – as well. If you enjoy the songs below please buy the album and support the artist.

Jadiid – On A Hill
Jadiid – 04.14.09 (One By One)
Jadiid – Parlour Tricks