In a clever bit of band marketing, the fellas in The Jet Age have decided to release new tunes in 2016 two-at-a-time. We've had a few of these music drops this year but perhaps none has been as strong as today's offering.
"The Glow Won't Fade" ups the Jet Age formula with a subtle build-up that manages to showcase drummer Pete Nuwayser and bassist Greg Bennett as much as it does singer-guitarist Eric Tischler. All the players here are at their peak powers and the instruments sound perfectly balanced in this mix. The cut builds and grabs a listener even as the music veers into controlled chaos.
"I Had A Dream" is a step into more familiar territory. Recalling stuff from earlier albums like 2011's Domestic Disturbances, the number finds Tischler in superb form, vocals and riffs up-front in this new number's sharp (and smart) mix. Waves of near-shoegaze-style feedback wash in behind him as the rhythm section keeps things grounded.
Hopefully 2017 will see a new full-length release from The Jet Age. This D.C.-area band continues to make music that seems essential and vital to me, and they are still capable of surprising me when they venture into new stylistic and sonic territory. Criminally underrated as I've said before, The Jet Age remain one of the very best bands in the nation's capital.
Until the new record drops, and after you've bought all the cuts released in 2016, you can follow The Jet Age via their official website, or their official Facebook page.
[Photo: Glenn Griffith, 2015]