Lake Jons – Self-Titled

Lake Jons
Self-Titled
Antifragil
★★★

Building on an identity since 2014 and the band’s inception, Lake Jons debut is a mixed bag of gentle pop from a frigid garage in Helsinki. The opener, “Lake Family,” reminds me of mid-’90s Butterglory. It was cool back then; a time stamp on lo-fi pop wonderment. The scaled back psych pop spun through a web of slacker culture was ultimately charming. It would have been better if Lake Jons done away with the hand clapping through the song. The moment of modern hipster conformance detracts from allowing the music to speak for itself. It’s what this band deserves to do.

Where Lake Jons gets it right is on “Fake Fire.” The muddy bass dredging notes through sludgy rhythms while guitar notes glisten, it’s a beautiful marriage. Then comes the vocals. It sounds like the band spent some time with a pile of well-loved ‘70s soul albums and incorporated the aura into their musical psyche. Once we get to the chorus, it switches into a gorgeous modern alt-pop theme that alludes to something catchy. It’s a great way to take something familiar and spin it into something current.

Lake Jons – Colors Music Video

I wish all songs could be like this or “Colors.” a song that defines the future with psychedelic chilled-out strata, hashing out philosophical derivatives on the surface that is wrapped in mystique. What you notice is that Lake Jons takes something trendy and adds depth. Most of the time, it works. And when the band has the motive of progression in mind, they shine. “Don’t Shoot Me” may be more of a challenge, but overall it’s a great statement. “Call Me” is built for the casual listener.

12 songs total, there is a lot to digest. A great accomplishment is how much the group packs into one song. The difficulty is making it all work when you have a lot to give.