Syzygy by The JDA Project
A review by Jef Peace
Senior Partner
PeaceWork Music Net
Album: Syzygy
Artist: The JDA Project
Track List: (titles appearing as links have an audio preview, click on the title to listen)
Like Beginnings
I Wanna Believe
Making Up For Lost Time
Someday
You Are Free!
A Bitter Pill
Heart To Hand
Blues Town
(Blues Shack)
What Could Be Better?
Freeway
Constant Devotion
Elusive
The Message
The first six bars of the first track set the feel for the entire album but by no means define it. I've come to expect a lot from this trio of veteran studio musicians and my expectations were exceeded by Syzygy . . . JDA has gone above and beyond the call of duty on this album.
The album does a bit of genre-hopping, but the totality is almost like an opera, with each act being a work unto itself while telling a definable story with the whole. You will feel the changes, but they won't make you dizzy.
"Like Beginnings" is rock ballad with a power pop feel. Swelling refrains with near orchestral harmony directly contrast the otherwise simplistic tune, creating a very enjoyable and somewhat inspirational listening experience.
"I Wanna Believe" is very Beatlesesque, it could have been written by John and Paul in the latter part of the 70's, but I think even The Beatles would have failed to provide the same passion.
"Making Up For Lost Time" is a bit heavier than the first two, but retains that power pop feel while introducing a bit of melodic rock reminiscent of Yes and Genesis with perhaps a touch of Gentle Giant.
"Someday" at first brought Asia to mind, and while the song retains that sort of feel, it becomes much more earthy right away in true JDA fashion.
"You Are Free" is a country-rockish, brit-bluesish ditty that has a more happy and whimsical feel than the prior tracks. It contains a message that is much loftier than the tune suggests, however, a dichotomy that I was excited about after listening to it a couple times. I like this one a lot more than any song of its kind I've heard to date.
"A Bitter Pill" jumps right back into the rock ballad salad with guitar licks that would make zero ambiance guitarists drool. The guitar is especially passionate in this song with a restraint worthy of greats like Steve Hackett and Eddie VanHalen. Very Pink Floyddish in feel, this is one of my favorites, if not my favorite.
"From Heart To Hand" revisits a late 70's Beatles sound while retaining the great guitar work and interjecting a bit of an early 90's touch. I wish the vocal harmonies were a bit tighter on this one, but the power of the song itself more than compensates. Don't listen to this one if you're at all sad unless you don't mind breaking into tears . . . very emotionally powerful song, this.
"Bluestown" steps into the power pop ring with weighted gloves and goes straight for the knockout. JDA experiments with vocal processing in this one and brings it off quite nicely.
"Bluesshack" is a slightly unsettling short harmonica piece that perhaps was intended as a closing to "Bluestown" but instead (or in addition to) brilliantly sets the stage for "What Could Be Better," which is another Beatlesesque ditty that is both highly entertaining and inspiring with its simple message and pleasant melody.
"Freeway" starts off a bit slow with a buildup that slides nicely into a rockin' blues ballad that feels quite a bit like Creedence Clearwater Revival with ZZ Top joining the jam session. The guitar is way in the background, almost like a disjointed afterthought on this one and that's sad because it's very tasty.
"Constant Devotion" made me wonder if JDA had switched engineers in the middle of the album because this time, the vocal feels seperate from the track. Again, too bad because this is a strong track otherwise and would have probably been my favorite. As it is, though, it remains one of my faves on this album because the guitar break alone is worth the price of admission and both the bass and drums strut a bit.
"Elusive" instantly brought King Crimson to mind, specifically the insturmental, Discipline. I am at a loss as to why, but there it is and since I love King Crimson, I'll leave it at that.
"The Message" was the perfect choice for the final track. Very powerful, it leaves the listener wanting more . . . like with the final brush-stroke of pigmented oil on canvas, the painter knows it's not finished, but puts it away because otherwise, it never would be.
In totality, this album brings to my mind an image that is both stellar and earthly . . . that angels have descended to Earth and taken up residence, sacrificing their divinity to fully enjoy all that being human has to offer.
I like this album . . . so much so that I will give my strongest recommendation: if you love rock, you must own this album.
To purchase this album, click here.