Wes Jones! Who? Wes Jones! Who? Wes Jawwwns! I used to get annoyed when I would read downtempo album reviews that began with: "It's really rare that a good downtempo album crosses my desk..." Although irritating in the past, that is exactly how I would like to start this review, except that I don't really have a desk to speak of. Aside from that frivolous detail, I have to say that this full length is a breath of fresh air and that I honestly haven't heard much moody, mostly instrumental work of quality coming out lately. Here comes Wes Jones to hit you with that mellow heat that makes you want to drink Mike's Hard Lemonade while making avocado omelettes for breakfast.
Check "Reinvention(1)" for the strong intro where the drums are
not pretending to be live, but the track still has some swing.
"Hidden Truths(2)" is giving me some Shakira hand clapping
imagery, but that may be because I'm obsessed with "Beautiful
Liar" at the moment. The breakdown in "Means to an End(3)" has
me flashing back to the feeling I had when Prefuse's first
record first came out. There's a certain nostalgia in that
chopped up prettiness, especially with the subtlety of Mr.
Jones' production style. Every song is solid and satisfying
from beginning to end. "Perfect Sense(4)" has a perfect mix of
crunch and melody which requires a really delicate touch to
pull off. Check "Unraveling(5)" and "Closure(6)" for the end of
the meal vocal sweets. "Trenches(7)" is a perfect close to an
album that is an excellent way to bridge the gap between hype
Ed Banger and Mad Decent parties and much needed sleep. Let
your mind wander to this one.
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