That special magic is back...
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See right through you --- Jadis --- 2012 (Jadismusic)
Turns out 2012, or at least the second half of it, is looking like being a good year for new releases from progressive rock bands. We've had new albums from established artistes like Marillion, Big Big Train and Neal Morse, among others, now comes the first new Jadis album in six years. Sadly, it only has eight tracks on it, and none of them are particularly long, certainly no epics. So are we being shortchanged, or is it a case of eight perfect tracks are better than twenty below-par ones, as I've alluded to before?
Well, rippling keyboards open the album, though it's new guy Arman Vardanyan who's behind the keyboard, then the signature guitar sound of Gary Chandler cuts in, soon followed by his vocals and the first track “You wonder why” is underway, with all the usual hallmarks of Jadis: great hooks, a soft but strong vocal line and great melodies. I've never fully been able to put my finger on why I like Jadis, I just do. Their music is very recognisable and has a sound all its own, and of course you have bandmembers who play, or have played, in the likes of Frost*, Arena and IQ, so there's great pedigree there. Chandler's guitar has always been an integral part of the overall Jadis sound, and it's put to great use here in a pretty mid-paced opener, leading into the harder, more rocky “Try my behaviour”, with a great little bassline from Andy Marlow and some quite funky guitar, supplemented by rolling keyboard lines from Vardanyan.
There's something almost magical about the music of Jadis; it just seems to leak into your soul and float around in there, filling your heart with warmth and good feeling. Central to this is the clear voice of Chandler, founder member and indeed only remaining original member, whose quintessentially English voice gives this band a sort of Big Big Train/Marillion sound, while yet retaining very definitely their own identity. There's one of many lovely solos on the album to be found here --- in fact, the track fades out on one such --- as well as some great vocal harmonies, another of Jadis's strengths. But the keyboards have their time in the sun too, and though I prefer the work of original keysman Pete Salmon, Vardanyan's intro to the next track. “What if I could be there” is a perfect backdrop for Gary Chandler's soulful vocal, with Marlow's bass slowly thrumming its way into the melody until suddenly it all bursts into a big uptempo rocker, taking off indeed on that bass pattern, locked in by Steve Christey's measured drumming and running alongside the powerful guitar line.
Great interplay later between the guitar and keys, then Chandler unleashes another smooth solo, chased by Vardanyan's bubbling keys, the whole song slowing down unexpectedly in the last minute for a beautiful little interlude on keys and soft guitar to take it to its conclusion. “More than ever” starts on a sort of tribal drumbeat with high keys and piano then hits a David Grayesque melody, and you have to hand it to Vardanyan here for his fine piano work as well as ethereal synthplay, then almost out of the blue Chandler knocks off a mad, dirty rock solo on the guitar, bringing in more interplay with the keysman, kind of Yes-style. It's more great guitar work though that sees out the song in style, with some final piano notes, then we're into a nice echoey guitar to takes us into “All is not equal”, pretty much the ballad on the album, where Chandler again displays his prowess behind the mike, impassioned and yearning as the keyboards paint a soundscape behind him, these selfsame keys setting up an almost electronica introduction to “Nowhere near the truth” until Chandler's guitar re-establishes the song's rock credentials; a great little instrumental, showcasing the band's prolific talents as it grooves along in a sometimes funky, sometimes electronic and sometimes rocky manner.
“Learning curve”, then, opens on a light little acoustic guitar against Chandler's vocal, with soft synth slowly swelling in the background, some digital piano finding its way in too, quite laidback and almost minimalist, a little Spanish guitar solo in the middle then the electric kicking in as the percussion gets heavier and the sound begins to fill out a little more. Jadis are a band who take their music seriously, and it's another smooth guitar solo that fades out this track rather perfectly, taking us to, already, the final track.
It's the title one, and indeed the longest at just over eight minutes, another mid-paced track. It's fair to say that there's no out-and-out rockers on this album, but then, that's not Jadis's way. They tend to do more thoughtful, introspective songs, songs that mean something, and each album is always more than the sum of its parts. As ever, Chandler's guitar is to the fore here, backed by Marlow's quiet and steady bass: Marlow's no John Jowitt, but he does know his way around a fretboard. Another great instrumental section in the middle, quite reminscent of 1980s Marillion really, climaxing in one last superb guitar solo and taking us almost to the last minute before the vocal comes back in for the final time as the song fades out on hard rock guitar.
TRACKLISTING
1. You wonder why
2. Try my behaviour
3. What if I could be there
4. More than ever
5. All is not equal
6. Nowhere near the truth
7. Learning curve
8. See right through you
It's been, as I said, six years since the last Jadis album, “Photoplay”, and since then the band has changed, with bass player and keyboard player leaving to join Arena and IQ respectively, but Gary Chandler has always been the heart of the band and like Gary Hughes in Ten, it's he who pulls everything together, writing most of the material and producing yet another fine album for this UK progressive rock band. My only complaint is that it's got so few tracks: I mean, six years and we get eight tracks? That's a little more than one song per year we've waited. Doesn't seem a fair return somehow.
Yet, although I said at the beginning none of the tracks were long, well they're not short either, the longest being as I mentioned just over eight minutes, but the shortest clocking in at five and a half, with a few over seven. And each track is just great, including the instrumental. It's a great album from a great band, with really no bad tracks and almost every one a standout. I just hope we don't have to wait another six years for the followup!