With so many singer-songwriters going the indie route these
\ndays, how do the best ones manage to separate themselves from the
\npack? What’s the secret handshake \/ melody \/ lyric?<\/p>\n
If you ask me — and if you don’t, this is gonna be a really
\nshort review — it’s all about two things: a memorable sound, and a
\npersonal touch.<\/p>\n
The memorable sound doesn’t have to be that original; truth be
\ntold, some of today’s most successful singer-songwriters are some
\nof the most derivative. Their secret is that they have learned the
\nright lessons from their predecessors — in particular, how adding
\nunexpected instruments or a distinctive flourish to an arrangement
\ncan take a song to the next level.<\/p>\n
The personal touch is easier to explain — the artist has to
\nhave something meaningful to say, and the craft to say it in a way
\nthat resonates with an audience. Everybody’s got issues, but can
\nyou talk about yours in a way that makes me either forget about, or
\nbetter understand, mine?<\/p>\n
Scott Jackson — who is probably wondering by now if I’m
\never<\/i> going to get around to talking about the terrific EP he
\nkindly sent me — is a Canadian singer-songwriter now based out of
\nbeautiful Lake Chelan, Washington. As the title suggests, his disc
\noffers a six-song glimpse into Jackson’s world as, in a keening,
\nsometimes fragile voice, he sketches its curves and corners with
\nbracing honesty. Along the way, he separates himself from his peers
\nwith, yes, a memorable sound and a personal touch.<\/p>\n
The former element shows up in a number of careful nuances
\napplied to the mostly full-band arrangements of these songs (think
\nJayhawks\/Ryan Adams in terms of basic instrumentation and
\napproach). The retro organ tones on “Right Or Wrong,” the accordion
\naccents on “Beautiful,” the superbly arranged harmony vocals on
\n“Empty Cup,” even the brief use of echo to highlight the word
\n“liar” in “Black And White” — these are the kinds of details that
\nensure these songs are both felt and received as something
\nspecial.<\/p>\n
The personal touch is evident in line after line of this
\nlovingly crafted set of songs. “There’s one thing I know for sure \/
\nDisappointment has one cure \/ To get up stand up \/ And face another
\nday” sings Jackson in the lilting “Right Or Wrong,” morphing a
\npersonal observation into a universal truth. In a less uplifting
\nmoment, he notes that “You don’t need to be a holy man \/ To hand a
\ncripple his crutch” during the bitter — yet surprisingly catchy —
\nlament “Empty Cup.”<\/p>\n
Perhaps his finest lyric here, though, is “What Are We Waiting
\nFor,” a song he refers to as “a modern version of the old ‘gather
\nye rosebuds while ye may.'” Indeed, it’s a gentle anthem to seizing
\nthe moment: “Today is a lifeboat \/ That we let drift
\naway\u2026The sun might explode \/ In our beautiful blue \/ Hope
\nI’m there watching \/ Right beside you.”<\/p>\n
The one true anthem on this disc is its energetic opener,
\n“Welcome To My World,” a song that revs up a wry, introspective
\nlyric with a rootsy rock and roll drive that’s equal parts BoDeans
\nand Tom Petty (with a hint of John Hiatt for seasoning). Even here,
\nthough, there’s an edge of sadness that gives these songs an
\nemotional depth that’s missing from too many navel-gazing indie
\nsinger-songwriters. You get the sense Jackson has done some living
\nin his time, and taken notes along the way.<\/p>\n
Jackson’s background prior to this disc is in hard rock and
\nmetal, thought you’d never guess it.
\nMy World<\/i> sounds like the work of a born singer-songwriter, a
\ncraftsman with something to say and the skills to make his message
\nresonate. Jackson’s Web site indicates this EP portends a
\nfull-length to be released sometime this year; I’m looking forward
\nto another winner.<\/p>\n