Groove Atlantic-O
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
The 11th album from the romantic alt-rock songwriter Stephen Jacques, the 10 tracks here were captured by the legendary Steve Albini and stem from the well lived life of a renaissance man, where each tune embraces power and emotion.
The warm guitar of “Dreams On Fire” starts the listen with Jacques’ slight rasp alongside Gerald Dowd’s agile drumming and Chris Siebold’s cozy pedal steel that gives the song a hint of Americana, and “Women Under Sun” follows with an upbeat and scrappy rock appeal that’s a bit crunchy, too.
“Syracuse Lawn Chair” occupies the middle spot, and carries a bit of intimacy amid Vijay Tellis-Nayak’s mature piano, while the jangly “Slept On A Ridge” gets more rugged with no lack of melody to complement the alt-rock spirit.
Close to the end, “Dining With Horses” is a calmer moment of aching pedal steel and eloquent storytelling, and “Dusty Italian Bike” exits with mesmerizing guitar and a reflective ambience in the slow burning beauty.
It’s important to note that Jason Narducy (Bob Mould, Superchunk) plays bass and guitar across the listen, and it sure does help illuminate Jacques’ formula that still clings to his punk roots, but also emits parallels to Springsteen and McCartney.
Travels well with: The Scarlet Goodbye- Hope’s Eternal; Kevin Bowe- Half Past Never