Jonathan Segel is a prolific musician who has now been playing in Camper van Beethoven for more than 35 years as well as releasing solo albums, but I always think of him as being a core player in Øresund Space Collective and I was kindly sent this album to review by Dr. Space. Having only come across Jonathan by his collaborations in ØSC I must confess to being very surprised indeed by this album as it was certainly not what I expected at all, as while there is some psychedelia on offer there is also plenty of Americana in songs which are highly structured, thoughtfully arranged and with vocals, very unlike the live composition I think of when approaching the other band.
It is almost as if Jonathan has two very different sides to him and his music, with this being the more sensible and tempered side as opposed to one which is controlled chaos where neither the listeners nor musicians have any understanding what path they are going to travel along. I am also somewhat confused in that while I thought I knew Jonathan and his approach, I am now seeing a totally different version of him, and which is the real him? I guess it is like many others I am aware of within the music scene who have very distinct and different realities – for example, I work in IT and am incredibly logical and need to be in an environment that has rules but also need to have an artistic output which is why I have been writing for nearly 40 years and have no plans to stop yet.
There is a relaxed and inviting nature to this music, which often makes me think of Jackson Browne, and certainly feels out of time as this firmly belongs in the Seventies when anything was possible. There is a strong message within the lyrics, and there is a relaxed approach which invites the listener to come in and sit beside the fire for a while and relax in the comfy chair and ponder the world and all the inequalities within. Available on Bandcamp this is definitely worth investigating.
Rating: 8/10
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Track list:
1. Cherries
2. Walking Along the Shore (of the Ocean of Unknown Things)
3. Earworm
4. Afraid of the Light
5. Memento Mori
6. Distracted
7. Following the Dog
8. Open the Door
9. Puzzle World
10. World Still Burns
11. Your Little Ditty