Jackson’s Kid Summer – Sierra Sunshine
Release Date: November 22, 2008
Record Label: Unsigned
Have you ever had a friend that felt so passionately about something that you immediately wanted to like that something and share in their love and enthusiasm? Someone who loves to dance or sing or cook or hulu-hoop? Jackson’s Kid Summer falls into a parallel category of loving what they do, but I don’t find myself liking their music. Honestly, it’s disheartening to see good people doing stuff they love when it just turns out to be something that you don’t love.
I tried. I honestly did try, and it's because the band seemed thoughtful and appreciative to have their music out there to be heard. The band personally mailed their album, Sierra Sunshine, to me, with a note thanking me for the review, with hopes that I would like what they had created. It’s a very vulnerable position to put yourself in, but they did it with a smile on their face. When I got the album, I had never heard of the band, so I looked them up. There’s not much to be found other than they were formed a few years ago, in New York. The pictures that I found seemed genuine and warming, like they loved what they did and loved each other.
But, the bottom-line, for me, was that the music wasn’t very appealing. First, the band utilizes dual lead vocals, shared by Jack Nolan and Kate Ellen Dean. In a genre where there aren’t too many female vocalists, they take a bit of a risk with sharing the lead vocals. For me, the risk doesn’t really pay off. The shared vocal duties seem too crowded for the listener and the pitch/tone difference makes the disparity much more noticeable. I must say though, Jack Nolan’s vocals are excellent. In fact, I would have liked the album more if the band had used only Nolan’s vocals. With a sound akin to Jason Lancaster (Go Radio, ex-Mayday Parade), I found his range and control quite pleasant. When isolated, Kate Ellen Dean has a nice tone to her voice, but in all honesty, the added vocals only make the record less accessible.
That isn’t to say that Sierra Sunshine is a complete disappointment. The instruments are well-played and enjoyable, but the problem is that the arrangements on some of the songs make them sound the same. One favorite is “Go South,” probably because Nolan is the primary vocalist on the song. It’s quiet and controlled, with less instruments and more focus on his vocals. Another standout track is “So Obvious” due to the guitar riffs and solid instrumentation. When you mix the lyrics in, they were decent, but in other places, they seemed random and scattered. I think that had they used only one vocalist, had a little more direction with their lyrics, and changed the arrangements/melodies on certain songs, I would have found the album a much better listen.
In the end, it’s a little bittersweet to write this kind of review. With such friendly people, you want to love the music. You want to put it on your iPod and make it part of your continual catalog. Just as you’d want to love a friend’s cooking, I really wanted to like this album. But, while I will say that the album didn’t appeal to me, I’d recommend the album, because I do have a feeling that someone will, in fact, love the music that Jackson’s Kid Summer loves to make.
We really appreciate the feedback regardless of your feeling on the record. Thanks to those who have listened and loved or just listened.
We do it cause we love it and in hopes other people will. We do put our entire heart and soul into what we do and we hope that everybody can at least appreciate that.
Well hopefully be cutting another EP this summer and we hope that youll be willing to review that as well and maybe we can change your mind. Honesty is hard to find and we thank you for that.
We really appreciate all the feedback especially johnny<3
We really appreciate the feedback regardless of your feeling on the record. Thanks to those who have listened and loved or just listened.
We do it cause we love it and in hopes other people will. We do put our entire heart and soul into what we do and we hope that everybody can at least appreciate that.
Well hopefully be cutting another EP this summer and we hope that youll be willing to review that as well and maybe we can change your mind. Honesty is hard to find and we thank you for that.
We really appreciate all the feedback especially johnny<3
With Love
Jackson's Kid Summer
I'm sorry if my review seemed harsh in any way. You all seemed like great people and as you can see, there are people who do love the music. It just wasn't for me, but that's just my personal taste. I wish you all the success and would still love to hear the new EP. Maybe I'll change my mind. Good luck to you all.
We all feel your review was entirely fair and dignified. Music wouldnt be worth making if everybody loved every single band or every single note played. What would the fun be? What would be special?
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