weekly spotlight
James Snelling
the only bright things in the room
California-born songsmith and guitarist James Snelling is out with a full-length album that will be richly satisfying for guitar-rock fans, particularly those that came of age somewhere between the heyday of hair metal and Seattle grunge.
The Only Bright Things In The Room contains multitudes, much of which is nodded to directly in Snelling’s self-description and list of influences, but always with a twist that is all his.
You’ll hear a bit of Soundgarden in the rollicking opener “MayFly”. There’s a pretty flagrant SRV flavor in the following track, “Green Blue Whiskey” followed by “Custom Hell” which sounds like a certain corner of the Pearl Jam catalog, albeit with the swing and groove cranked up a bit.
There’s more than a couple moments where you’ll hear the Nirvana peeking through, sometimes in odd spots, such as penultimate track “Whole” which sounds like what you might get if you passed Nirvana through a soul music filter.
All in all the record sounds like a guy having a great time with his guitars, and it’s just a damn good listen.
Eric Soltys
luminous
Eric Soltys is a Canadian (BC) electronic artist who has an uncommonly good ear and a knack for creating simple but emotionally punchy instrumental compositions, and making them sound just terrific in the process.
His new full-length album Luminous deserves plenty of attention, but I’m not sure it really bears picking apart track by track, because in truth, it plays like a singular, self contained document.
At barely over 30 minutes in length, these 11 tracks fly by, and they stitch together so well that you won’t really be sure where one ends and the next begins, though there’s a definite character and progression at play in the track order.
Stitched together with a shockingly effective cello sound and no shortage of symphonic swells and dramatic dynamics play, it feels like sitting in lotus on a cliff at the edge of a majestic ravine - epic in scale, but tranquil in its overall vibe. This record breathes, shimmers, and calls to something in us that doesn’t live at the surface.
As you reach the “darker” stretch in the center of the track list, beginning with “Shadows Encroach” and ending with “Glimmer in Darkness” you’ll feel the vibe tilt ever so slightly heavier, but you get the sense that this is an artist who finds beauty, and a reason to smile, in even the bleaker moments.
Then we’re at “Rising Embers” and begin the climb back to the light. It’s a beautiful journey, and a digestible one for the casual listener.
Western Jaguar
holding on by a thread
Western Jaguar continues the (frankly staggering) tradition of Canadian songwriting excellence, adding another track to a stunning series of indie pop / rock releases this year.
“Little Self Indulgent” came out toward the end of 2024, an upbeat jam that raised eyebrows for us. Follow-on single “Pity Party” continued the high energy, melodic brilliance before the mid-tempo bop “Flower Box” made us sit up and notice that something really special was underway out there in British Columbia.
Now they’re dropping “Holding By A Thread” - a simply gorgeous pop ballad dripping with reverb, flawlessly produced, and filling out a stylistic picture that (we hope) is an appetizer for a lot more music coming in the rest of the year.
From the first line - “I’m the reason your last stick of Nicorette is missing out of your tie-dye sundress” - you’ll be transfixed. So many perfect lines, so well delivered, so well served by the arrangement.
Granted, we’re suckers for the seemingly definitional Canadian ability to draw incredible beauty out of disarmingly simple ideas, but Western Jaguar is one of our favorite acts right now, and we think there are great things in store.
Jack Jose
My Only Friend
Sometimes you write something so good that you have to get it out in the world, whether it was part of the plan or not. Cincy songsmith Jack Jose has an album in the final stages of coming together, but before we get to revel in that treat, Jose has gifted us with this excellent addition to his catalog.
Of a piece with “No Conditions Love” off the stellar A Sunlit Place album, Jose again exposes his deepest vulnerabilities to us with wicked turns of phrase and an endearing humor, wrapped up in a catchy little rock song.
It’s likely familiar to a lot of listeners, particularly creative types with a whole pocketful of social anxieties - indulging in self-destructive behavior because it makes you feel interesting and attractive and part of the club.
The narrative in “My Only Friend” is a pretty straight-forward one, but it’s told with aplomb and punctuated with one of the best lyrical hooks Jose has produced yet - “I’d rather be my own worst enemy than be my only friend”.