Recently it’s been brought to my attention that 6’3” is not ‘that’ tall (it’s only ‘tall’). Still, watching Jeremy Jay play on Saturday, all 6’3” of him, I understood why he appears that tall. There’s a gangly unease to his presence; he’s mostly arms and legs...
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According to Jeremy Jay’s publicist, Dream Diary is Jay at his “dreamiest.” This is no small claim. If you’ve been following Jay over the years, you’ve probably come to the same conclusion: here is a musician with his head perpetually in the clouds. Perhaps a consequence of being tall, Jay has found a niche in cloud surfing, and it suits him well. He doesn’t craft “dream pop” inasmuch as dreamy musings.
Dream Diary is a tour de force de pop, in the best sense. Jay is well-versed in vintage style cues and his interpretation of pop music seems to pull from a mix of genres, from French New Wave to the upbeat, melody-driven pop of the 1960s. Because of this refusal to adhere to one impulse, Diary is difficult to categorize. “Caught in a Whirl” rides along on a bicycle built for two, the missing link in a Marlo Thomas/Godard union. Conversely, “The Dream Diary Kids” uses far too much synth to be mistaken for anything but a product of the 21st century. As the album progresses, Jay’s focus degenerates a bit; the incongruous “Wild Orchids” has Jay doing his best impersonation of sultry over a dirty beat, marred slightly by his creeping falsetto. The final track, “Man on the Mountain,” is a complete departure, as a kind of Ziggy Stardust ballad set against a twinkling backdrop (had Bowie spent his years gazing at palm trees instead of hallucinogens).
The aforementioned “Caught in a Whirl” is one of Dream Diary’s strongest tracks and it highlights Jay’s knack for wistful songwriting. Jay describes infatuation as only a true romantic could: starry-eyed memories devoid of cynicism. It’s easy to lose one’s self in his prose, beautiful for its simplicity; it’s difficult to ignore his heart, as he wears it on his sleeve. We may not be privy to Jay’s private inspirations, but he’s painted us a postcard image, wishing you were here.
In the film adaptation of The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola effortlessly captured the languid flow of 1970s suburbia through the lens of a teenage girl; she showed a keen understanding of adolescent heartache, and Jay does the same. His music is grown up and sophisticated, yet it’s obvious he’s interested in those core sentiments that we never fully outgrow: sweet, pure love and the freedom to pursue it.
Dream Diary is scheduled for a digital/vinyl release on April 12. For the latest album info, visit Facebook / Myspace. You can stream the album here. More information on Jeremy Jay can be found at his K Records page.
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