The Jake Russell Band is weird, and I think they are darn proud of that fact. On their latest, Turning to Dandelions, they seem to be at their most weirdest yet. There are no boundaries on this album. One song, the epic title track, goes on for over 16 minutes, but it's hypnotic enough that you barely notice this fact. What drives the band is Jake Russell's voice. He sings out of tune often on purpose, but he does so in such a warm and charming way. He's like a quirkier Stephen Malkmus. The arrangements are often soft and acoustic-based, and Josh Koleszar's guitar and accordion playing that compliment the arrangements often offer more beautiful and unique melodies than anything Pavement ever did. My favorite track by far is "Candide’s Blue Period," a great indie pop tune with minimalist drums that fit the mood of the song just right. I wish all of the tracks had drums, but unfortunately only some of them do. Another strength of the album is Jake's lyrics, which are conversational, insightful, and just plain refreshing compared to most bands out their today. Overall, it's safe to say that there is no band out there that sounds like the Jake Russell Band. They are doing their own thing, and while sometimes their music might be slightly hard to digest, you absolutely have to admire what they are doing.
I'm a teacher, musician, and filmmaker from Lawrence, Kansas https://twitter.com/beatmastermatt
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