Album Reviews

(Ed note: This is the first voice memo review on AnalogPlanet) Jacob Collier rightfully displays a childlike fascination with music. It would be a mistake, though, to confuse his youthful exuberance with mediocrity. The 26 year old, who released his first album five years ago, gets praise from music business legends. Herbie Hancock is in awe of Collier’s performance and production abilities. Quincy Jones, recognizing the multi-instrumentalist’s potential, signed Collier to his personal management division.

Collier continues to push boundaries with his music. Now a month into the new year, his main focus remains the completion of the final installment in his four-part “Djesse” series. With four albums currently under his belt (Djesse Vol. 1-3 & In My Room—his Grammy Award winning 2016 debut of original and covers including The Beach Boys tune, recorded in his family’s music room), Collier’s made quite a name for himself.

I’ve heard various assessments of his music, some positive, some not. Still, no matter your stance, what can’t be ignored is that in addition to being a prodigious producer, the man is an exceptional musician with an ecstatic stage presence. Without a doubt there are thousands of musicians who view him with envy, though it seems to some that his talent has also acted as a distraction. Once Collier’s dazzling interlaced wall of harmonies has been breached, there’s a gaping emotional void that’s in serious need of filling. Need I say that this is a cause for concern?

Collier’s creations have crumbled in the hands of critics, me included, who note their lack of solid emotional centers so crucial to differentiating art from commerce. With the release of Collier’s latest single The Sun Is In Your Eyes, however, the multi-instrumentalist may have finally found his emotional footing.

Compared to past work, and even on its own, the most striking characteristic of the new single is its simplicity. Collier fans (and detractors) expecting the usual “auditory overwhelm” will be surprised to hear a solitary, you could say lonesome voice accompanied by one acoustic guitar. Let this song prove to the world that in Collier’s room production isn’t everything!

Though seemingly simple the lyrics truly are not. I will not be doing a complete lyrical dissection as I prefer leaving the interpreting to you. I will however point out the song’s versatility. Many stories can be told here; it could be one of joy, or one of great sorrow. Perhaps a snapshot of blame, or a feeling of unfathomable shame. The music I most enjoy is vague and subject to interpretation; no wonder then, that this blew me away.

Collier’s lyrics here invite scenario restructuring incapable of being simplified or easily defined. Is it a song of romance, or a cathartic collapse brought upon by one’s “sun”? No detail remains fixed within the song’s message, making it the furthest thing from broken (you’ll have to listen).

Because of its simplicity, lyrical malleability and musical intimacy, The Sun Is In Your Eyes has staying power unlike any of the artist’s earlier songs. Collier’s previously gone off the deep end by jam-packing his originals with musical distractions that please, but only serve to distance himself musically and especially emotionally from his audience. Gladly, whether by mistake or realization, he’s strayed from overproduction and moved towards relatability.

"With fans worldwide recording and uploading personal covers of the single across various online platforms, clearly I'm not the only one falling in love here. Is it fair to expect emotional maturity in Collier's next album? Surely. Through stripping the music bare, he's made room for a deeper connection, leaving me nothing but grateful."

(Nathan Zeller is a music-adoring Beatles fanatic from the chilling lands of Western Canada. Born with a piano teacher for a father, and a teacher at a music-oriented elementary school for a mother, you could say he didn’t choose this life, rather it chose him. Currently he’s trying to remember Spanish for his schoolwork. Follow Nathan… nowhere, because he’s discovered he may be better off without social media.)