Jarvis
Coach House, 2020
9/10
A Chicago outfit spearheaded by Matt Baron, this first album from Young Man In A Hurry puts a unique twist on indie-rock, where a cello and horns are part of the equation, and appearances from players for Willie Nelson, Jeff Tweedy and Father John Misty are also present.
After the lead off track “A Natural Love”, where Baron’s energetic vocals guide the instantly memorable landscape and some cosmic moments arise, “Give Me Patience” follows as harmonica, synth and cello breed creative indie-pop.
An extremely varied debut, deeper tracks like “Many Things” recruit clarinet in the folk influenced atmosphere, while “Tired Of The Telephone” offers orchestral musicianship that leaves a big impression. “Joelle”, one of the album’s finest, then finds a moody place to reside, where tone is key and beauty flows in spades.
The band exit as memorable as they started, as “Eau Claire” gets a bit more muscular with a buzzing and kinetic conclusion that gets pretty close to alt-rock
A very colorful and exiting listen that’s lyrically very eloquent, Young Man In A Hurry are a breath of fresh air among the legions of indie-rock bands today, and Jarvis an excellent start to what I assume will be a luminous career.
Travels well with: Matt Pond PA- Still Summer; Wilco- Sky Blue Sky