Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Jackson Howard - Just for the Mystery (2017)




Written by Shannon Cowden, posted by blog admin

St, Louis born Jackson Howard earned himself a seat at the table of modern musical talents with his debut release and his follow up, a thirteen song collection entitled Just for the Mystery, will likely propel him to the forefront of indie artists working today. The bulk of the album’s thirteen songs are original compositions with both the music and words being Howard’s responsibility alone and his talent for crafting memorably intelligent material is one of the central factors distinguishing his work apart from the recorded output of other similar artists. He’s performed hundreds upon hundreds of times since his recording debut and considerable live experience he’s earned has given him an deeper level of commitment as a performer. It gives the original tracks and otherwise on Just for the Mystery an unusual level of maturity and emotional complexity for such a young performer and consolidates Howard’s position as one of the most talented newcomers on the indie singer/songwriter scene today.

He starts off things in a mildly ambitious way by kicking the album off with its title track. This is a number designed to lift listener’s spirits and does so without ever laying anything on too thick. Instead, it’s a supremely well constructed AOR rock track with just enough of a balance between the commercial and the personal to really make it fly. There’s some inventive, yet understated, guitar work coupled with measured drumming and tasty piano fills fueling “A Place in the World”. It’s one of Howard’s most assured vocals on the album and his genuine emotive grace comes through vividly. “Run With Me” doesn’t have the same quite bright hue coloring the previous track, but the meditative beauty of the song redeems any loss of light. First class guitar work, both electric and acoustic, is one of Just for the Mystery’s defining characteristics, but he doesn’t rely on that instrument alone. There’s an outstanding variety of keyboard colors, tempo shifts, and textural variations that make this far more than just some sensitive slice of AOR singer/songwriter craftsmanship.

One of the album’s two covers, “The Battle of Evermore” comes from Led Zeppelin IV and might strike some as an unlikely candidate for a Zeppelin cover. The classical folk and fantasy leanings of the track are revised into something much bluesier with this performance and guest vocalist Rachel Horter does a spectacular job with Sandy Dennis’ original vocal part. It isn’t meant as a slight to Howard’s songwriting talents, substantial as they are, but this rates as one of the album’s finest moments. There are a lot of light, barely perceptible touches that go into making “Driftwood” one of the album’s best songs, but its patient transition from essentially a solo piece into a lightly swinging acoustic number by song’s end makes this a memorable moment on the release. “if I Fall” is much closer to a purely solo performance. Howard’s voice possesses all the needed sensitivity to match up well with a lyrical piano track and the song practically aches with emotion. Jackson Howard proves on Just for the Mystery that he’s more than up to task of making himself vulnerable for his audience and hits a home run that will define his career in some respects from this point forward.

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