JLJR - ‘The Rest of Your Life’
Photo by Sara Laufer
From Brooklyn, New York, JLJR has just revealed the new EP, The Rest of Your Life, so we decided to take a look at two of the tracks from this incredible new release. Each one of the tracks on this new EP are a sonic journey. Hints of Blur, Bowie, Radiohead and Beck, along with many other great experimental artists and acts have been distilled into these kaleidoscopic indie rock compositions.
“17 Miles,” which is about running, for instance has strong undercurrents of Bowie during his fragmented Berlin era. JLJR is just as determined to fearlessly drag pop through what feels like an anxious urban environment and create something gorgeous, beautiful and unique. With a drum and bass arrangement that has the same simple, hypnotic pull of “Heroes” we are propelled forward into a groove that slickly builds tension but never explodes.
Along with the warm texture of acoustic guitar we have dancing over this groove gloriously angular, evocative guitar lines and ambient sound scaping. Bearing the hallmarks of Robert Fripp, Carlos Alomar, and Brian Eno it delightfully cans that same art rock, raw, avant-garde atmosphere they laid down on so many records during the 1970s.
Gentle, vulnerable in places, JLJR gives a heartfelt vocal delivery that wonderfully accentuates the tracks groove with his cadence. This performance style also produces a contemporary feel to the whole composition. The track does not feel dated or a 1970s copycat record.
“Driving,” according to JLJR, is “a meditation on time, how it distorts, how it heals, how it haunts,” and another example of the musical alchemy and confidence expressed on this new EP.
The track rhythmically holds the same tense, restless vibe as Radiohead post OK Computer. Intricate yet glitchy, there is a strange steady consistency to the groove that effortlessly blends electronic and organic elements. Over the top of what is an almost mechanical beat is the mesmerising human layers of acoustic guitar, subtle, atmospheric “Davyan Cowboy” rhythm guitar and short bursts of haunting ebow-like electric lead. Edgy, spellbinding, I would love to open up the Digital Audio Workstation to see how this mix was constructed.
Carrying the same charm as “17 Miles,” JLJR’s vocal doesn’t tame the chaotic, frenetic layers but instead acts as a focal anchor for the listener. This time though there are a healthy number of effects on to the performance which only enhances its vivid nature.
On the EP, JLJR adds: “...five songs from a transformative time in my life, five songs about time, self, sound, smells, dying, running, driving, grief, youth group, shoes, You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon, crying, probably much more I won’t even realize until years from now... Written across states, years, voice memos, and hard drives, The Rest of Your Life is a deeply personal collection of songs, textures, and moments. It’s full of lo-fi, exploratory and interconnected layers of memory, irony, and grief. The EP invites self-reflection, even as it quietly warns about the danger of understanding too much about yourself.”
The EP The Rest of Your Life sounds like an artist fully enjoying themselves in the studio. No weak tracks nor wasted moments in the compositions, it is truly a sonic delight. The EP is out now via Paper Moon Records.