“Gavin DeGraw meets Ben Folds”. That’s how someone described Jacob Jeffries to me when trying to see if I would like him musically or not. The funny thing is, I’m not a huge Gavin Degraw fan. I like one or two songs but was never obsessed. I guess it always felt like a guilty pleasure for someone who largely listens to punk and ska. I love me some Ben Folds though (and other piano-driven bands, like Jukebox the Ghost), so I decided it was worth a shot. I’m glad I kept an open mind, because this album is happiness personified. The first song, “Worth The Wait,” is super catchy, which signaled to me I would probably enjoy what followed. Other songs might not be nearly as happy, but they remain upbeat or driven. It’s one of the reasons I love piano-driven music – it adds a whole new dimension to the sound that keeps things interesting. Even slower songs are likely to have some element that keeps you listening, although there are always exceptions depending on personal preference. In the case of Tell Me Secrets, the action does dip a bit at the top of the second half, but it picks up again at the end and still offers an overall enjoyable experience for the listener. I think my only issue was that “Worth The Wait” was possibly too catchy (if there is such a thing), and I really wanted just a whole album of that. Instead we got a wide range of sounds, which is not a bad thing at all. It might not have been what I expected, but it did show the artist’s talents in a variety of ways. Intrigued? Good. iTunes link for ya
My job here is done 😀