J.Edmond 2025
Fleshing out his method to find the meaning of post-pandemic life, American auteur also expands range of creativity.
Isolated Dew
Engaging in duality on his debut offering, Jeremy Edmond may have inhabited a highly individual headspace, yet that record’s urban angle felt rather relatable, and the “Isolated Dew” EP which arrives in its wake impressively builds on that single’s foundation. While there are only a couple of fresh cuts here, on the platter which wholly incorporates what came before into a wider context, a few previously unheard stylistic elements outline variety and breadth of the Connecticuter’s songwriting reach. Kindled by the Fire Aid benefit concert, the artist formerly known as Jebb remembered a track he’d started working on during Covid, and was inspired to finish the job, with the old number’s title transferred to the entire disc, whose sales will partially benefit Pasadena Educational Foundation Eaton Fire Response Fund, and the rechristened “Some Way” taking the pride of place here.
Presented in both vocal and instrumental variants, it highlights not only Edmond’s soft voice, caressed with his acoustic strum, but also Danny Henry’s piano and Fernando Perdomo‘s slider roll that marry the forlorn melody to catchy beat and propel the piece’s call-and-response and spoken word towards the sax-spiced “Search Lights” which stitches hard rock riffs to a dancefloor stomp with a lot of swagger. There’s no surprises now in the weighty pop glimmer of “City Walk” where solemn harmonies appear submerged in A. Michael Collins’ six-string fuzz guitar and Steve Rodgers’ lap steel, and no wonder in the psychedelic colors of “M.Paserbye” which draws on tender Americana. However, although this incremental revealing of the artist’s persona is interesting, a time should come for a completely new set of tunes to form a full-length album and firmly place the Prospect denizen on musical map.
****1/3
