JAKOB

I'm not quite sure why I enjoyed this really. Instrumentals are not my preferred style in music - but for some reason, this one caught my attention, and given that, I must say that I recommend this for post rock fans - on the basis that it establishes and holds a mood as well as the listeners attention throughout. I could actually see this being quite good study music for those who happen to come across this rarity (legally).

4 stars.

Herein lies the problem - it is essentially a mood piece. There is no chance that every person will like this song. It is overly long, some would say boring, but it was created to act as a flowing soundscape, devoid of lyrical clutter, nor needless aggression and noise. The real beauty of Dominion is that it just meanders along in a slow, purposeful manor, carrying the listener away on a soft cloud of noise. Every few minutes, the direction of the music changes slightly, varying the timbre and pace subtly, but it still feels like the pure stream never stops. Around the 20 minute mark, the typical Jakob darkness descends, precipitated by a heavier bass line and increased tempo.

Unfortunately Dominion suffers from being such a long piece, as it is not easy to focus the whole way through without feeling that the band could have filled the soundscape out much more, but as a minimalist ambient piece, I can think of little better. Dominion is an ethereal and gentle song that could quite easily be one of the best things the band has done; but suffers from a terminal lack of direction and overall impact.

In terms of post-rock, Solace is even more minimalist than Jakob's previous releases, or similar bands like GY!BE. The standout tracks include the proto-typical Jakob opener Malachite, the crisp percussion based grooves of Oran Mor, as well as the ethereal beauty of Everything All of The Time and Saint. Solace suffers a little from a sense of repetition, as any largely ambient piece will, but it at least has evolved its sound from Cale:Drew, both through a more polished production, and better developed soft-loud-soft structure. Instrumentally, Drummer Jason Johnston stands out, providing a solid platform for the development of each track, he is simply brilliant in the way he is able to control the timbre and tempo of each movement. This allows both Jeff Boyle and Maurice Beckett to heavily layer the sound over the course of each track. It is also very impressive that Jakob are able to create such mature and well developed pieces with only 3 members, and still maintain a powerful and full sound.

Solace is an incredible achievement for a Kiwi band, a mature and powerful album that doesn't always rely upon creating an angular mass of noise, but prefers to focus upon creating sweet grooves, ethereal soundscapes and calming moods. As long as you can keep your attention span, Solace is a very rewarding experience.

Jakob is a post-rock band in the vein of GY!BE, that develops seemingly simple ambient music with crisp percussion, delayed guitar riffs and thunderous bass work. The build up for each song is often long and focuses around a simple composition that is apt to explode into a black mass of noise. Each song features a characteristic timbre that ebbs and flows over the course of the song, rising in volume and impetus at will, in quintessential post-rock fashion. There are no vocals as per se, with the exception of a single vocal chant mixed in with soothing guitar tones. The highlight of Cale:Drew is the two track combination of "The Diffusion of Our Inherent Situation", and the outstanding "Semaphore". Both tracks stand as examples of the simple power and emotional hooks Jakob are able to develop. As with any ambient music, it can at times seen ponderous, and some tracks just lack the climax needed to make them more memorable.

Cale:Drew is an unconventionally heavy album, more focused on guitar heavy soundscapes and layered textures than 2006's Solace, which is softer and perhaps more refined sonically. Having seen Jakob live, I can tell you that it is indeed powerful stuff, carefully paced to ensure the raw power of the soundscapes are not lost upon the listener. I cannot but strongly recommend Jakob, and indeed Cale:Drew to any post-rock/metal fan, not to mention any New Zealand prog fans, who have not heard this little known gem of Kiwi music.

4 Stars

One thing that this album doesn't have, that for example Cale:Drew has are those moments that gives you the chills you know, that really speak to you, that you really resonate with. Well this is just my subjective opinion, but so is every review, so...

To sum it up, i really recommend this album, and this band overall, if you're into post-rock you'll love this no question about it, if you are wondering what post-rock is all about, you can as well start from here because the song are quite accessible.

'Dominion' has a much more ambient feel than anything on 'Cale:Drew', with a gentle guitar introduction giving way to a simple but slightly varied drum pattern. The song drifts like a summer shower until the twelve-minute mark, where drawn-out guitar notes are followed by sparse bass, and it all begins again ... at the twenty minute mark it grows heavier and darker for a time, with feedback squealing a thunderstorm of noise. The storm comes and goes for a while, until the track ends with a crunching climax and a long, delicious fade out. Doesn't sound much for thirty minutes of music, but that's the point. You're supposed to fill in the gaps.

Oddly, this album gave me a similar feeling to listening to early BOARDS OF CANADA: crisp rhythms over slightly restrained and muffled notes, the accompaniment to some imaginary documentary. I understand this was edited down from 50 minutes of music. I'm sure it's a better product for the edit, but I could cope with more of this!

JAKOB have constructed a delightful composition, one I will return to when the mood takes me: not often, but with pleasure each time. Four stars for those comfortable with post-rock, and possibly an extra star for those who enjoy ambient music. Best thing I've heard out of my home country for ages. Pure bliss.

JAKOB is a New Zealand three-piece that create dark and heavy atmospheric music. I've not listened to their entire catalogue - their music is not all that easy to come by - but, judging by this album, I'll be searching out their other records. Eight ponderous tracks span the gamut from light ('Faye') to the deepest darkness invoked by distorted guitars (the single 'Semaphore' and 'Skew Aard'). At their heaviest they invoke bands like PELICAN and ISIS, but their soundscapes are true post-rock, more sophisticated than their progressive metal peers. The main criticism I'd level at this record is that the tracks are a little too short to fully engulf the listener in their soundscapes. Their buildups are necessarily briefer and less emotional than GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR, the touchstone for this genre, but they can still transport the dedicated listener to another, slightly more disturbing, world.

My favourite moment: the stunningly clean snare that emerges about six minutes into the guitar swirl of 'Jimmy Hoffa'. My pick for outstanding track on the album.

I am new to this band, and credit for introducing me to JAKOB must go to ProgArchives.com. I was fortunate to pick this up from my local iTunes store.