Jaye Jayle went from being Evan Patterson’s solo project that explored sounds outside of what he did in Young Widows and has now become a full-fledged band.
The overall sound of After Alter (Pelagic Records) is more experimental, and Patterson’s vocal delivery is more soulful and assured than what he did in his previous band. The opening track is minimalist in how it lingers on the verses. There are some interesting drum sounds and the overall mix leans into the ambiance by giving all the instrumentation a great deal of open space, even when things begin to come together dynamically. If Josh Homme wrote songs for Queens Of The Stone Age with no radio aspirations the result might be similar.
“Doctor Green” simmers into a back alley blues, with the slinky drone of the song accompanying Patterson’s hushed baritone here. “Fear is Here” broods over a darker mood with the band refusing to conform to the standard Rock format. Not sure this should be called Post-Rock either, as it’s more like the soundtrack to the smokey after-hours bar rather than cinematic splendor.
“A Blackout” feels more like an attempt to rock out, though it is more restrained, where Rock music beats the chords with reckless abandon. The chorus carries more of a dynamic Rock kick to it than the previous songs. Sections, where fuzzed-out overdrive is used, are mixed in a raw Sonic Youth-like fashion. They commit more to rocking out on this song than they have earlier in the album, but if you are looking for anything high energy this is not the album for you.
There is a doomier blues swagger to “Bloody Me,” heavier in mood, but far from Doom. They go back into a bawdier Nick Cave vibe mood; it’s one of the shades this color alternates coloring itself with. This time around it’s darker than how it’s previously been used, at times indulging in lyrical poetry that invokes Leonard Cohen‘s nineties output. He covers the Beatles “HELP!,” but slows things down into a smoky creep. It brings a more depressive slant to the old Pop hit. This pace does drag the song out, though this is forgivable as their take is entertaining.
The “Bloody Me” solo version sounds more like a Swans demo. It does show you the sonic evolution of their songwriting process.
This album excels in its vision and artistic direction. It is not an album that rocks out but an album that lurks within. If you are a fan of Patterson’s other work then this album will appeal to your ears.
If you just enjoy drinking by yourself as you watch the sunrise, this album will also provide the needed soundtrack to these moments of morose contemplation. So drink deeply from this grimly verbose platter of sonic contemplation, and enjoy his musings of this bleak sonic landscape.
Buy the album here:
https://orcd.co/jayejayle
8 / 10
WIL CIFER
Follow his work here: