What A Way To Spend A Night
Radia, 2021
9/10
Listen to What A Way To Spend A Night
A Brooklyn native, the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Jack Grace recently left New York for a stint in the UK, where he played solo shows before assembling a band. With new songs in their set, the trio then fine tuned them in the Cambridge/London scene, and the songs were eventually tracked in England before being brought back to the states where horns and strings were added.
Grace starts the listen with the warm and soulful “The Monster Song”, where his deep vocals are met with moody organ, jumpy keys and frisky percussion as the tune abruptly shifts in tempo and mood, and “You’d Be Disappointed (If I Didn’t Disappoint You)” follows with well timed brass, subtle backing vocals and a stylish delivery that’s full of jazz and blues nods, too.
Deeper into the listen, “Bearded Man” gets more rugged with thick guitars amid strategic organ and soaring guitar solos, while “Broken Melody” simmers lightly in a poetic and melodic climate. “Don’t Wanna Work Today”, one of the album’s best, then shuffles quickly amid playful drumming, bright horns and a dance floor friendly spirit that you can’t help but admire.
Nearing the end, “Smokehouse Discrepancy” is an instrumental tune that’s full of strong and unpredictable interaction between the esteemed players, and “Chinatown” exits the listen with a scrappy garage rocker that displays Grace’s gritty pipes alongside intricate guitar work.
Grace is joined by Fabian Bonner (bass), Ian Griffith (drums), J Walter Hawkes (trombone), Chris Lucca (trumpet) and Bill Malchow (keys, viola, accordion), and together they embrace many variations of rock that take influences from the ‘60s on, and are never tied to a specific genre, but emit much timelessness and familiarity.
Travels well with: Rod Picott- Wood, Steel, Dust & Dreams; Matt Eckstine- Lil’ Blue