Jayson Munro - Echoic Exclusion (February Records)
This guy has such a relaxed style about him. I kinda figure him doing it all whilst lying horizontal, just keeping chaos at bay with his youthful bravado and musical savvy. Of course he has probably done the opposite, worked his fingers to the bone just to get this album done. Still, the impression lingers right throughout the album. This is a plus, mind, not a minus. It’s a style that emulates the 90’s slacker approach, making the music with an easy drawl on both voice and instruments, made famous by Pavement and Beck. The term ‘slacker’ doesn’t mean lazy, though, it means relaxed.

The vocals here are often deeper in the mix, whilst the guitars clang away up front (occasionally it’s keyboards), and the drums thud just behind them, a shining example being the gloriously titled “Piers Are Long And Tedious”. On quieter tracks, like “Satin Waves”, his voice is quietly insistent, and the acoustic guitar does its best to hide the words. It is both intriguing and delightful, and I love it, I really do, this shambolic sounding testament to his talent.

Just a word about February Records – they appear to be doing their best to promote new Connecticut indie sounds, and they appear to want to help bands – full stop. Check them out from top to bottom, from Jayson here, back to bands such as Women’s Basketball from 2009; there may still be free downloads available, too, so lucky you.
www.februaryrecords.com

Next