Jimmy Chang certainly is talented. Real talented. With Changewave, he’s pulled together a solid album definitely set to catch the attention of more than one music nerd and appreciator of solid tunes.
Changwave has eclectic gems in some killer musical moments. Nods to the greats can be too familiar at times. One thing’s for sure, Jimmy Chang’s got talent
As well produced and clearly articulated this one is from Chang, first track Chartreuse Moiré, in its opening bars, is already tugging pretty strong on the apron strings of the ever-recognizable Kevin Parker rhetoric. The banger of all bangers from Tame Impala’s Currents album of 2015 is undoubtedly inspirational.
That hard hitting groovy bass line opens up for some crisp kick drum and snare, then into some swinging reverb, it’s pretty familiar, but definitely a song with tremendous hard work behind it and this becomes clearer as it progresses into the vocals. With daring and comfortingly familiar Australian undertones, Chang puts these tracks down with confidence and some sweet lyrical moments.
Call a track Fre$h Prince and I am there with my parachute pants on before someone can shout Bel Air. This dreamy lullaby is soft, clear and lyrically on point; girls and lazy sunny afternoons. Deliciously aligned just far away enough from that sharp sound of Morrissey, Chang has definitely put this tune in my backyard (that’s a bit generous… perhaps, courtyard) playlist. I can already feel the sweet drips falling from my ice cold VB down my forearm.
Key snippets include a super trancy glide along a magic carpet with Welfare Youth, silky reverb and calming monotone certainly cements this one my highlight list… a defining moment of my listening experience. A total spinner jumps out of the psych forest in Guide to Friendship Cooking. Again with that brash, Aussie drawl, shit talking over some twangy and original riffs, Guide to Friendship is nod to Melbourne legends Verge Collection having a sweet convo with Sydney beach rockers Goons of Doom.
QT3.14 is an interesting one. At first I was super down with it, but finally it clicked that I was trying super hard to marry it to some familiar ground – perhaps too close for comfort. This is an occupational hazard for me, finding at least three artists or tracks that I already know, but couldn’t push this one out of my head once it clicked.
The album has a few numbers that fade a little bit into the background. 2003 and Zealous Chang, don’t seem to stand out as much, the clarity isn’t quite as sharp as former tracks and leave a bit of a less than memorable fade out in the listening experience, even if they are filled with some really cool effects. The space age Bowie moments do give a nod to the greats, but a bit too much of the same to give them any really grit.
Changewave is sharp, eclectic and draws some great comparisons from some classic acts. However it just can’t escape my mind that a few too many moments took me away to another song or another band, I love it when I get lost in something simply because it is a tune that my body has yet to experience, Chang has certainly brought to the table talent in spades and solid potential, but at the moment the influences are a bit too obvious to make it one that I am going to put sticking on repeat while at my daytime desk job…. which I love…. at 4.55pm.
Not one to pass over though, give it a listen and more than one track will definitely jump out to you, something I can definitely guarantee is diversity in sound and styles; there is something for everyone. That is Jimmy Chang… the man of the people.
