Asheville, North Carolina is probably more known for the Biltmore Estate than music so it's a pleasant surprise that there's at least one artist out there on the national stage. Jar-E is the group and they are fueled by bi-lingual sing songwriter and multi instrumentalist Jon Reid. His latest album Chicas Malas (Bad Girls) was actually conceived in Mexico after being inspired by journey that took Reid through Greece, Cuba, and Britain.
As one might expect after taking a journey of such magnitude the regions and countries Reid visited on his journey found a way to influence the music that would become Chicas Malas. The result is an album that's got a global feel about it and has no problems switching between jazzy rhythms, Latin tinged songs, soul numbers, proper pop songs, and laid back countrified twangers. It's an album that truly is a joy to listen to for it's diversity as well as it's songs.
Throughout Chicas Malas Jar-E keeps things light and airy. The songs never seem to get weighed down by the assortment of sounds and influences at work here. From the crisp horns to the pedal steel guitars, the instruments here all fall into place at the perfect time creating an absolute brilliant atmosphere that makes the record incredibly absorbing. Check the nearly easy listening vibe of, "The Pedestrian," or the pop genius of album opener, "Fever Break."
Inspired by the world around them, Jar-E's Chicas Malas is a record that sounds as if it were made everywhere in the world but Asheville, North Carolina. It's a mixed bag of instruments and sounds that fit together like a 1000 piece puzzle that creates the most grandiose image. It might not be pop in the traditional sense, but Jar-E's soulful take on world music is fun to listen to and Chicas Malas is a fun album to have around. You can actually see for yourself what I'm on about as Jar-E brings his soulful take on world music to Jacksonville March 19th at Freebird!
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