Jadis with Power and Grit
ProgDog | 02/27/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Jadis has released a CD that lets a grittiness into their sound, a grittiness that is well known to fans who have seen the band live. Taking the better part of a year to write and produce, Chandler thrived under the pressure of creating this CD on a deadline. That pressure squeezed out a diamond.
Photoplay contrasts other Jadis releases in that the CD sounds more like a band that actually rocks while performing. In comparison to Fanatic, Photoplay abandons the idea of a concept CD and reflects a more direct hommage to the Trevor Rabin period of Yes. Tightly composed solos seal the joints on the songs of this CD more deftly than Jadis (Gary Chandler) has ever done so in the past.
Far from formulaic, Jadis manages to create an open sound that feels like a sunny day, yet fails to bore any perceptive listener. Concerned with the crafting of lick-driven songs that actually rock, Chandler avoids the overly-introsperctive approach by other prog bands bent on creating epic-length, super-intricate songs heralding to ELP and early Yes constructs, songs that can be tiring for the listener who simply wants to enjoty a good, solid rock song with progressive elements. The label neo-prog stems from this commitment to creating listenable, easily approachable progressive rock.
"There's a Light" opens the CD with a strong, heart-stopping lick that truly rocks. Keyboards soar into the song much like a heavy Deep Purple cut. Drums on this cut stand out as actually having some verve. Gary even allows his voice to carry a bit of urgency.
"What Goes Around" opens with a guitar lick that Gary looped with his Pro-Tools software. The song is a fabulously crisp, edgy rocker with textures to keep your ears tickled. While the nod toward eighties prog and ultra-clear guitars remains a Jadis mainstay on this cut, the increased use of distortion pedals grants this song some great power chord moments with grind.
"Asleep In My Hands" will shock the traditoinal Jadis fan with a full-throttle opening of off-the-charts drumming and galloping guitars launching the song into genuine, heartfelt rock. A great driving song.
"Standing Still" is a comtemplative, meditative song built once again on a simple guitar lick. This song is more like the Jadis from More Than Meets The Eye, but stands out as more genuine than similar efforts from early Jadis.
"I Hear Your Voice" opens with a gentle synth line of three chords, whispering behind a furiously-controlled rhythm line, eventually settling into a jazzy, bounding ballad. Chandler's decision to employ a space-like sound to the guitars here does not decline into a U2 piece of noodling, but breaks into yet another series of strong power chords. At times, this song can remind the listener of The Tubes during their Completion Backward Principle era, yet the piece engages the listener with more deftly-crafted musical moments than The Tubes ever performed.
"Make Me Move" initially sounds like an awkward piece. Borrowing from a pseudo-Fripp series of chordal modalities, Chandler has created a multi-layered song that stands on songwriting, not the production trickery King Crimson slips into at times. While some could cite Chandler for forcing a musical issue here, the repetition of solid melodical lines anchors what could be simply a cacophony of moody sounds to a thematic musical statement.
"Who I Am" returns to lush sound for which Chandler has become known. Employing jazzy exchanges and syncopated bridging to construct the piece, Chandler keeps true to his traditonal Jadis approach, but the production allows a bit less smoothness into the Jadis sound, creating a more organic texture to the music.
"Need To Breathe" opens with a simple series of power chords on an acoustic guitar, breaking into an eerie progrock song full of strong bass licks and searing drums. There's even some shredding here. A great rocker.
"Please Open your Eyes" follows a line of rhythm that simply drives what could otherwise be heard as an overly-simple cut. Chandler displays his mastery of what makes rock and prog enjoyable on this song.
"All You've Ever Known" again presents an acoustic opening mixed with dream-like synths. The song eventually releases entirely into the dream. Very gentle and melodic, this song highlights Chandler's interest in layering a song without losing its sensibility.
"Photoplay" is an instrumental cut, an unusual closing cut for Jadis. The song opens with a slow fade-in of synths and bass. The guitar, produced with an echo and set on a medium level of pedal distortion, sounds like its down the hall or in an empty concert hall. While this may sound like the song could become cliche or simply creepy, the piece carries a great amount of heart and passion.
Passion may be the overall theme to this non-concept CD. While this is still sounding like a Jadis effort, the sheer immediacy of the sound and the grit that Chandler breathes into this CD marks it as one of the best CD's Jadis has released.
Worth the buy. Highly, highly recommended to Jadis fans and new listeners of prog or Jadis."
A more Rock sound to Jadis
J. Saadia | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 03/13/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I love this album. It is a change from previous records, more guitar oriented, but the melodies are there!. You should really buy this album, it's a very good one!!.
"
Ultimately rewarding
Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 06/01/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Jadis' new album is quite possibly their most rewarding work to date. Unlike its predecessor, it consists of independent songs rather than following a concept, and is put together with a strictly defined songwriting attitude. Guitarist and vocalist Gary Chandler also took on the responsibility of mixing Photoplay with impressive results. There are moments on the album where infinite numbers of threads are tied together combining dense atmospherics with gripping guitar arrangements. Without doubt, the production on the album is their best yet.
Unlike the more synth-driven earlier Jadis albums, Photoplay boasts lots of guitar-centred passages that are brilliantly mixed with rich melodies. "I Hear Your Voice" could be the definitive Photoplay song: it begins with floating Mellotron sounds that are married with a funky bass walk and rocking guitar melodies. Chandler's vocals in the chorus have a nice catchiness to them, particularly when they soar above the beautiful piano section. "There's A Light", the opening song, is another great representative of this record. The guitar work is sublime and Martin Orford's keyboards are ethereal to say the least. Chandler's voice is more confident than before mixing nicely with a slightly blues-inflected guitar solo as restrained acoustic guitars are also inserted into the mix. There is more to enjoy. The slightly ethnic beats on "What Goes Around" underlie both processed and clean vocals by Chandler as the piece also displays great interaction between the guitars and keys; while "Asleep In My Hands" stands out for its powerful drumming and blazing synth effects, much like the relatively modern-sounding "Standing Still" whose psychedelic pop inflections and dark Mellotron patterns highlight the terrific bass fills by John Jowitt.
"Make Me Move" is formulated by subtle chord progressions and excellent female backing vocals, not to mention the outstanding instrumental sections. I was able to discover these subtleties around the fifth or sixth time I spinned Photoplay, which was all the more surprising. Actually the best thing about this disc is how all those small details come out amidst those seas of synth and guitar melodies. I'm particularly impressed by Chandler's clever use of acoustic guitars that seem unnoticeable upon first listen, but each spin cements the fact that it is the addition of wonderful acoustic guitars that adds so much colour to these compositions. The intro of "Need to Breathe" is a great example with swells of synth melodies and challenging bass chimes. So solid is the songwriting that it pulls you in and takes you to a different level. "Please Open Your Eyes" is the perfect love song driven by every neo-prog element: melodic guitars, fragile synth textures, rhythmic bass and drums; and more acoustic guitars that seem like they were secretly draped over the piece at the last minute. With all due respect to these songs, my favourite has got to be the title track. Not only is it the most beautiful album closer on any Jadis disc, it's also one of the most emotional instrumental songs Chandler has ever written. Mostly guitar-based, he juxtaposes open strings and heart-wrenching bends with dynamic synth effects provided by Orford. It's a great finale to the album.
Recommended to fans of IQ, Pendragon, Arena as well as Toto and Asia. There is something for everyone here."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1