NASCENT

By Phil Lehman

Liking this album came out of nowhere for me. The first minute of the EP’s opening track, “The City I Love,” is fine — but nothing to take note of: grungy and guitar-driven with some extremely fuzzed-out leads. Then the chorus kicks in and the song transforms with rich harmonies and a clear organ backdrop. Guitar and drums take a backseat. The change was entirely unexpected and I actually had to backtrack to make sure I heard it right. The second track, “Spark,” starts similarly; again, it’s not until the minute mark that a chorus in harmony seems to lift the song out of a dark, introspective lilt.

Meek’s voice is not necessarily one that would aspire to fantastical vocal heights. However, the Livermore resident seems to be the rare case of a lead singer far more comfortable singing in harmony with other voices than solo. And he uses this to his advantage in each song. While the album was very much a DIY project and the fuzzboxes belie the music’s rock roots, the harmonies create lush textures across grunge landscapes that give the songs a transcendent quality. Given the album was recorded in the church where Jonathan’s father preaches, this should come as no surprise.

Quite simply, I haven’t heard harmonies layered with guitar work this effectively in a long while. “From the West” embodies this perfectly. Again, super-saturated guitar leads (think Brian Eno) intertwine with simple melodies over acoustic guitar. And amidst it all, Meek croons, “I’m an island.” The effect gives the listener a sense of the ebbs and flows, and ultimately, the violent crash of the tides against a lone soul.

Or something like that.

The songs themselves are deeply introspective, and the different voices found in each song –- whether they be instrumental or human -– express the myriad points of view at battle within us all: at times discordant, at times in unison.

The last track, “Take a Look,” may be my favorite -– weaving in and out of a dreamy verse in which at one point Meek asks, “Where did my love go?” and transitions into a peppy, upbeat chorus where he answers himself: “Now that I’m older, I can see things as they are.”

Overall, the EP is more ambitious than the band’s name or the album title, Irony and Pity, give it credit for. Meek cuts to the quick of things we have all grappled with at one time or another without being pretentious, patronizing, or obvious. His debut is, most importantly, a genuine reflection of the songwriter.