Gregory Robson
02/23/09, 04:57 PM
Jason Reeves - The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (And Other Frightening Tales...)
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Release Date: July 31, 2008
Acoustic pop. It's a pretty straightforward musical genre these days. It's light, it's airy, it's not too sophisticated, and as its title suggests, it offers quite a bit that's engaging to the ear. So its no surprise that Warner Brothers signed Iowa singer-songwriter Jason Reeves and re-released his disc The Magnificent Adventures of Heartbreak in the hopes that the Colbie Caillat collaborator might find some success on the airwaves. And why shouldn't he?
Tracks like album opener "Someone Somewhere" and fifth song "Pretty Eyes" are perfectly carved slices of midtempo rock (read: VH1 material). That's not exactly a bad thing at all, it's just a little safe. Reeves tackles the familiar subjects: love lost, love found, the ever-elusive perfect someone; and it's never dull or banal, it's just a little unoriginal. The songs never rise above mid-tempo, and many dabble in the ballad region, but that's hardly a gripe. When it sounds this gorgeous, it's a delight to listen to. Because of their subject matter and their far-reaching appeal, it's almost a no-brainer to think that these are songs that will be featured in movie trailers, teen TV shows and summer mixtapes for years to come.
Reeves' greatest asset is his voice - one minute its crystalline and romantic, the next its smoky and mysterious, but it's always on the spot and rarely misses. The album's biggest letdown though is its length. A 16-track opus is a lot to take in and despite the fact that two of the songs are no longer than two minutes, it's all a bit unnecessary. At what point does a musician think of the listener? Do we really have an entire hour to sit down and dive in to their personal turmoils? This isn't so much an attack on Reeves as it is any artist who feels like they should make an album more than 12 songs. In this case, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache could have done without "Just Friends," "The Fragrant Taste of Rain," and "Sunbeam Lights." And then there's the lyrics. They aren't exactly horrid, nor are they beacons of inspiration, either. They're middle of the road and analogous, as one would expect from an album dominated by themes of love lost and love found.
That's not to say that this is a dull album, in fact, it's far from it. What the album is though is predictable. One of the few songs that strays from the romance angle is "New Hampshire," a song that indirectly spins a yarn about love, but uses geography as its focal point. Its easily one of Reeves best, but it's also a major talking point. "New Hampshire" is a gorgeous track and its abundantly clear that a good hook comes to Reeves rather easily (Caillat's "Bubbly" and "Realize" are examples). With the exception of the album's length, there are few missteps here and this is first-rate acoustic-based musicianship, and the kind of album that a struggling or neophyte artist should take apart and dissect and learn from. Of all the acoustic-based singer/songwriters out there, it's hard to think there are few better than Jason Reeves. Yes, this album is that good.
This Iowan-by-way-of-Calfiornia is a premier talent and the album marks the sign of many good things to come. Of the 16 songs, at least 10 leave an indelible impression days after listening. With that in mind, it'd be shocking if Reeves wasn't on the airwaves and the TV screen in the very near future.
Matt Nathanson; Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers; Howie Day; early 21st century John Mayer
myspace.com/jasonreeves (http://www.myspace.com/jasonreeves)
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Release Date: July 31, 2008
Acoustic pop. It's a pretty straightforward musical genre these days. It's light, it's airy, it's not too sophisticated, and as its title suggests, it offers quite a bit that's engaging to the ear. So its no surprise that Warner Brothers signed Iowa singer-songwriter Jason Reeves and re-released his disc The Magnificent Adventures of Heartbreak in the hopes that the Colbie Caillat collaborator might find some success on the airwaves. And why shouldn't he?
Tracks like album opener "Someone Somewhere" and fifth song "Pretty Eyes" are perfectly carved slices of midtempo rock (read: VH1 material). That's not exactly a bad thing at all, it's just a little safe. Reeves tackles the familiar subjects: love lost, love found, the ever-elusive perfect someone; and it's never dull or banal, it's just a little unoriginal. The songs never rise above mid-tempo, and many dabble in the ballad region, but that's hardly a gripe. When it sounds this gorgeous, it's a delight to listen to. Because of their subject matter and their far-reaching appeal, it's almost a no-brainer to think that these are songs that will be featured in movie trailers, teen TV shows and summer mixtapes for years to come.
Reeves' greatest asset is his voice - one minute its crystalline and romantic, the next its smoky and mysterious, but it's always on the spot and rarely misses. The album's biggest letdown though is its length. A 16-track opus is a lot to take in and despite the fact that two of the songs are no longer than two minutes, it's all a bit unnecessary. At what point does a musician think of the listener? Do we really have an entire hour to sit down and dive in to their personal turmoils? This isn't so much an attack on Reeves as it is any artist who feels like they should make an album more than 12 songs. In this case, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache could have done without "Just Friends," "The Fragrant Taste of Rain," and "Sunbeam Lights." And then there's the lyrics. They aren't exactly horrid, nor are they beacons of inspiration, either. They're middle of the road and analogous, as one would expect from an album dominated by themes of love lost and love found.
That's not to say that this is a dull album, in fact, it's far from it. What the album is though is predictable. One of the few songs that strays from the romance angle is "New Hampshire," a song that indirectly spins a yarn about love, but uses geography as its focal point. Its easily one of Reeves best, but it's also a major talking point. "New Hampshire" is a gorgeous track and its abundantly clear that a good hook comes to Reeves rather easily (Caillat's "Bubbly" and "Realize" are examples). With the exception of the album's length, there are few missteps here and this is first-rate acoustic-based musicianship, and the kind of album that a struggling or neophyte artist should take apart and dissect and learn from. Of all the acoustic-based singer/songwriters out there, it's hard to think there are few better than Jason Reeves. Yes, this album is that good.
This Iowan-by-way-of-Calfiornia is a premier talent and the album marks the sign of many good things to come. Of the 16 songs, at least 10 leave an indelible impression days after listening. With that in mind, it'd be shocking if Reeves wasn't on the airwaves and the TV screen in the very near future.
Matt Nathanson; Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers; Howie Day; early 21st century John Mayer
myspace.com/jasonreeves (http://www.myspace.com/jasonreeves)