Analysing the different phases of an artist’s career, the eras their releases or progression embody, is an interesting game. Deciding moments when their sound took a step in a new direction, their media persona changed, or the technology available advanced around them can be marked as pivotal. These occasions when tectonic plates shift can be hard to pin down without an album cycle to help.
The distinctive nature of Jason Bembry’s releases, however, can be easily summed up. His single releases contain a constantly evolving sonic palette. Within the last year alone, audiences have been treated to sunny theatrics with funky chords and endless optimism (’Doit4luv’), grooving house music engineered for dancing on the beach (’Summer Love Fling’) and vast ballads brimming with dynamic vocal harmony (’Thankful’).
It should come as no surprise, then, that Bembry’s recent release, ‘My Friends’, once again, arguably steps out into fresh territory. The opening moments swell from the indie-noir depths, hazy vocals, reversed instrumentation, and a rhythmic, chant-like top line.
The main body is immediately reminiscent of Disclosure’s Caracal album. It blends sleek dance music ideals with the hypnotic vocal performances of a nocturnal alternative R&B. The blend of brooding and playfulness that has run through some of Bembry’s recent releases is perfected here.
Jason’s thematic concentration is “all about the isolation and self-confidence that comes from feeling othered by people you thought were your friends.” That is paired with a revival in that self-confidence, he shares, “sometimes, we need to write them out of our lives in order to move on.”
Colourful and irresistible though it remains, the rawer, more intimate reflections and less endlessly bright instrumentation here make for an atmospheric final product. The New Jersey artist’s unique selling point hails more from his classical piano training, his knowledge of music theory and composition and his ability to explore emotions. So, embracing darker territory has made that simply all the more exciting and may well be the start of great things to come.