Jay Malinowski divaricates with Bright Lights & Bruises, tumbling a long way from the dub reggae sounds of his first love Bedouin Soundclash. It seems that these days musicians have the itch to express themselves with full creative control, branching off in contagious solo debuts or forming allies with completely separate outfits. Take for example the tangents of Julian Casablancas, Monsters of Folk, Ben Gibbard or Amy Millan. And here you have Canadian native Malinowski serving up a notably empathic and unlax album of thirteen tracks balancing between folk-rock, western storytelling and good old spiritual music. His croon is transformed to a rasping cry, part sandpaper-rub and part moonshine prose, and his guitar clings as his companion and solace. It’s a brew of lonely souls, last meets, and amends made. A back porch worthy, on a starry night, piece of work. So countdown with the crackling strains of Life Is A Gun and the fade away of Remembrance Day. Even with an uncomplicated refrain and a simple formula, there is a deep resonance to this album, and standing in the middle, bearing his soul, is a man I’m surprised was birthed from up-tempo reggae. But like someone once told me, “Who says you can’t do (or be) two things?” I have a profound and humbling respect for those people. So kudos to Jay for playing Clark and Superman. And to the unspotted song, “This is for All, For All Those Songs, For All those songs never sung,” might I say… Thanks for the flawless ambush.
simply ONE of the masses
Key Tracks: Songs Never Sung, Remembrance Day, Life Is A Gun
Moods: Reflective, Bittersweet, Organic, Good-Natured, Intimate, Earnest
