If there's one band I'd never thought I'd hear a second album from it was the Jealous Sound. After seeing them over a decade ago and being completely impressed by these guys and then buying their debut album they disappeared, vanished, fell off the radar. And for the last ten years or so that's where they've been...off the radar. But as I've learned, expect the unexpected. So, to say that the Jealous Sound's return was a surprise would be an understatement.
Now, after being on the cusp of breaking it big time, reconnecting with former band members and enough of a back-story over the last nine years to write a book about it all the might Jealous Sound have released their sophomore album A Gentle Reminder. In a word it's awesome. This is such a welcome return that it's like reconnecting with your best friend after decades and nothing has changed. In a sense that's what this album is all about, reconnecting the past with the present and moving forward.
A Gentle Reminder is an emotional and beautiful record that's crisp, clean, and reminiscent of old Death Cab. The songs utilize the quiet / loud dynamic as if it were more important than air. Guitars chime and zoom in and out of walls of distortion as the drums roll along and Blair Shehan's vocals carry the whole thing along. It rises and falls on every inflection of this combination and the album progresses as if being caught in a constant ebb and flow. This isn't an immediate album as the songs are a bit more subtle than you'd expect but they do make an impact.
A Gentle Reminder is a fantastic return to form. The Jealous Sound has released a great album packed with subtlety and a renewed sense of purpose. This is an album that may be nine years late, but it's been worth the wait and they’ve more than made up for their absence. The Jealous Sound have reaffirmed their next big thing status with A Gentle Reminder; let’s just hope they stay around long enough to claim it.
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