ALBUM
REVIEW
Transcending
Normalcy W i t h
Angelic Vocals
Rory Sullivan and
The Second Season
BY ALIVIA MASSIMILLO
JEFF JACOBS
I
f in some strange sub-reality Ryan Adams’ talent fused romantically
with an acoustic version of Waking Ashland’s album Composure,
the result would be Jeff Jacobs. Jeff Jacobs is an up and coming singer
based in New York who has been featured on hit shows such as the
renowned Teen Mom 2. Haven’t heard his angelic vocals yet? No
worries. Jeff Jacobs recently released his first EP, Enjoy The View-which
is available on ITunes for about $6. The average price of this EP masks
the not-so-average talent of this fellow. Jeff Jacobs lyrics literally formed
images in my mind while listening to his charismatic voice harmonizing
with his guitar. His lyrics exhibit such a level of deepness that it almost
seems as if some famous director could make a cinema-classic out of
his songs. No joking here when I say the song “The Necklace” actually
12
made me cry. I am not the overly emotional type, but the way the song
so effortlessly played out like a true love story, made actual tears form
in my tear ducts then spill outward onto my cheeks. Don’t believe me?
There is yet another reason you must download, Google, YouTube,
Internet search, fall in love, and/or stalk Jeff Jacobs (Just kidding,
stalking is a hyperbole in this case…please do not do that.) As for those
of you who are anti-Internet and prefer the rawness of a performance,
Jeff Jacobs is playing at the Cup Coffeehouse in Wantagh on Saturday,
July 6th. Regardless of your choice of checking him out, I promise
you, Jeff Jacobs is a dude with a serious poetic side that transitions
it seamlessly into beautiful music making. It would be a shame for
you to miss the opportunity to hear his profound lyricism at work.
NEWSOUNDMAGAZINE.COM
ALBUM
REVIEW
By Drew Biscardi
O
n his debut LP Rory Sullivan and his band The Second
Season offer some seriously honed folk-pop, tinged
with slight flourishes of country throughout. The music leans
heavily on Sullivan’s strong vocals, which are a perfect match
for the sad/sweet pop sensibility on display through much
of the album, but drummer Matt Musty and bassist Ryan
Gleason lay down a great foundation for him to work with.
The opening song “Will You Come Back Home” shows off some
serious pop songwriting chops, while still displaying attention to the
finer details of performance, apparent in the skilled organ playing. A
real standout track is “Out of Here” and this is a clear choice as a single.
The slightly familiar sounding intro breaks into some great vocal
hooks and shows off some really nice guitar and mandolin playing.
Other songs are a bit country sounding, but restrained just
enough, with touches of lap steel placed strategically in the mix so as not
to overpower the arrangements. Sullivan and crew show they can rock
out as well, demonstrating some variety on a song like “Ride the Rails.”
Another great feature of this record is its clear commitment
to using a wide variety of folk instrumentation when this
is what suits the song, in the case of “Rails” featuring a
killer fiddle lead. “Leeza” is another example of Rory
Sullivan’s ability to write sweet, yet sad sounding, pop songs.
The record closes with another more up-beat song, “I Can’t
Love You,” probably the fastest tempo of any on the record.
Relying more on electric guitars, this track stands out from the rest.
Overall the album is full of very solid songwriting, featuring
some really skilled and tasteful musicianship, and all of this was
recorded at Vinegar Hill Sound Studios in Brooklyn, with the
luscious sparkle of Justin King’s excellent pop production. If you
like your pop songs with elements of moody folk and slight hints
of country, then you should check out Rory Sullivan and The
Second Season’s new record. Find it here: rorysullivanmusic.com/
13