Album: Jessica Jalbert - Brother Loyola

The brazened strums of a fuzzy electric guitar are never too far away on Jessica Jalbert’s new record “Brother Loyola”, but constantly transcending the chaos are dreamy pop vocals wistful, wishful and naive enough to confine their sound to Canadian and mid-west American soils. These multi-layered and abstractedly harmonised vocal tracks are perhaps their most effective when embedded in the luscious violin arrangements of opening track ‘Necromancy’, a song which starts and finishes up in the clouds, albeit a little more weathered as it draws to an evocative close.

“Whatever, Whoever”, subsequently comes as a squealing, lo-fi punk surprise. “Daniels” then has more of a gentle surf-ballad and organ vibe about it. “Paris Green”, track four, works out as the album’s dominant track - coming highly recommended for its thundering overdrive as much as its murky, clipping microphone vocal sound. To compare, think of the garage indie rock of the Elephant 6 Collective, or the organic production feedback of My Bloody Valentine. ‘Lack of a Lake’, is a more light-hearted jaunt, with a traditional European set of guitar ‘licks’ stationed to entwine with one of the most forward, directly-engaging snippets of voice “Brother Loyola” has to offer.

The album as a whole colours my perceptions an overwhelming sense of blue and grey and perhaps also the occasional brown; it feels complete, well rounded, and a thorough investigation of its own sound. Biggest comparison for the dreaminess has to be Holly Miranda, Twin Sister or Warpaint; the music, like a bedroom-recorded, fantastical combination of early Dum Dum Girls, Women and Neutral Milk Hotel. “Paris Green”, of the two singles, appeals to me most, as does a wonderful scattered rework of “Necromancy” (an album favourite), from Born Gold’s Kuhrye-oo.

• Jessica Jalbert - Paris Green (MP3)
• Jessica Jalbert - Necromancy (Kuhrye-oo remix) (MP3)

Buy Jessica Jalbert’s album “Brother Loyola” from Old Ugly Recordings.