It’s Monday night and I’ve arrived at my dimly lit, somewhat pretentious local bar. The atmosphere is inviting and engaging, despite the fact that the décor here reminds me scarily of The Block. People here are so intimidatingly good looking you’ll spend the rest of your night avoiding eye contact like the peasant you are. But it’s also warm and sultry and quite frankly Jake Berry’s latest EP sounds like the live act I would expect to hear at this venue.
Meaning ‘speaking in tounges’, Glossolalia from Sydney singer Jake Berry reaches the peak of romanticism and sophistication.
Glossolalia is the epitome of romance and sophistication – two characteristics I don’t often hear in music lately. The six-track release is your standard acoustic album, complete with clean vocal runs and an easy-listening quality that allows the music to shine on its own as well as be played as background noise.
First up is Spinning Top, which sets the folksy tone that resonates throughout the rest of the EP. The next few songs follow suit, being highly textured with layers of guitars and light backbeats. Track four, Mysterious, is beautifully smooth, slightly more upbeat and reminiscent of singer/songwriter and ladies’ man John Mayer. We’ve Been Here Before follows shortly after and adds a jarring edge to the round off the EP. It’s a mixed bag of songs really and by the end of my listening I’m feeling a little confused.
Glossolalia adheres to the conventions of warm, mellow vocals paired with intricate guitar melodies. It is by no means the most original sound I’ve heard, but for fans of soothing acoustics this should be right up your alley. Berry’s talent is admirable and the EP clearly characterises him as an artist but it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me.
The EP has its highlights, (particularly the maturity and sense of self in each song, coupled with the curated selection of songs, but overall I was waiting for a climax, a moment of serious passion that never came. Glossolalia features some interesting jazz-inspired rhythms which I wish were expanded on more. It’s a solid foundation to start with but I hope to see something a bit more assertive and clarified from Jake Berry in the future.
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