Jakki and the Pink Smudge are a 3-piece indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, comprising Charlie Oakes, Jakki Wise and Oliver Lester.
‘Niacinamide’ is their 2nd album, and its songs went through many variations, with hours spent exploring their possibilities. I googled ‘Niacinamide’, and all I could find was that it is a form of vitamin B3 that is essential for overall health. Perhaps there is some other hidden meaning – or perhaps it really is just as simple as that.
Clearly, these 8 tracks have been very carefully gathered together to reflect the band’s vision for this concise album.
‘Closed Off’ – The band sounds tight from the opening bars – there’s a crystal clear, bright sound. The guitar melodies exist in a slightly off-beat space, which gives it a really nice groove. Jakki’s vocals are warm, rounded, and casually roll around the track in a really satisfying way. To me, it was a surprisingly upbeat, optimistic-sounding opener.
‘Holding’ – a similar, solo guitar opening…smooth and mellow like freshly brewed coffee – the guitar melodies front and centre, with delicate vocals floating around on top. The final third of the track changes pace and gets a little fuzzier.
‘Rent 13’ – pace increasing, there’s a tight, energetic groove and an enigmatic vocal with a little more grit and a great melody. Dreamy guitars punctuate the track.
‘Comes Out Right’ – some very inventive guitar work – there are strange, glitchy sounds and off-kilter riffs aplenty. It gets really wild and wonky as the track nears its end – I liked the raw sound of this one.
‘In My Face’ – a fast hi-hat pattern and lots of splashes give this track plenty of momentum. The band say this is a “heavy-hitting callout track”.
‘Round Clown’ – I thought this had such a unique sound, and a wonderful melody which suddenly reaches up like a toddler in a toy store. The crunchy guitars growl and howl in the background.
Penultimate title track ‘Niacinamide’ has three distinct sections – soft, gentle and mellow, then spikey and slightly frenetic. Finally, half-time and reflective. A cool choice was that there are no vocals after the first minute. I thought the middle section would have been great as its own standalone track, but this is another example of the band’s inventiveness and experimentation.
The album closes after just under 20 minutes with ‘Repeat Bruise’ – yet more inventive sounds – that beat has a cool, tactile, almost liquid feel to it, which I loved. Of course, more riffs and hooks are delivered with the calm confidence we’ve come to expect. This was one of my favourite tracks for its brooding, spacious sound.
The band writes, “‘Niacinamide’ is the post-breakup emotional landscape from the relationship that made you never want to date again, and being totally cool with that.”
The band’s creativity is on full display on ‘Niacinamide’ – I never knew what was going to happen next, or indeed what was being sung (I would have loved a lyric sheet!). There are inventive textures and surprises around every corner. Packed with a ton of melodic ideas (there are more hooks than a crochet convention), it’s a really confident, mature sound that feels warm and welcoming.
‘Niacinamide’ is out now.
Written by Grubby
