ok jolson is a bit of a wandering star. He was born in the south of England, but grew up in Miami, and is now based in New York.
The psych-rock alter ego of Jack Payne, ok jolson, describes himself as a multi-instrumentalist, artist, producer, videographer & neuroscientist. So there’s no need for the Yellow Pages in Jack’s house – he can do it all!
‘sooner or later’ is the first single taken from ok’s upcoming album, and proudly features all organic instruments, lots of tapes, and basement recordings. A real one-man band, ok is responsible for all parts, vocals, recording, and producing on his records.
There’s such a bright, open start to the track, with rolling, bluesy, rattling plucked guitars and unmistakable vocals with a laid-back, almost slurred delivery. The vocal and guitar bounce off each other, twisting and combining in an infectiously groovy way.
The guitars growl (and occasionally bite!) with a gnarly crunch. Moments of calm alternate with intense, wild crescendos – it’s like riding through the swells of a stormy sea. I loved the warm, tactile, living-breathing feel to the track.
It’s a loose groove, but things never get sloppy. I heard little hints of Nirvana in some of the melodic & arrangement ideas. It’s a sometimes-funky, sometimes-throwback sound that manages to have plenty of lo-fi grit mixed with modern polish.
“Entropy has been wearing down on me
It’s not easy to maintain sensibilities in times like these
Something’s gotta give
Sooner or later”
‘sooner or later’ drips with a sly, playful swagger, and has melodic ideas you can really sink your teeth into.
This is one man’s vision – and it’s 20/20!
Written by Grubby
