Jacob Donham is an artist from Asheville, North Carolina who recently released Blue Ochre. The album is primarily folk with a good amount of Americana and rock in there as well. The music felt somewhere between Wilco and Bill Callahan.
Donham’s vocals were pretty unique to my ears. He has a deep voice and his delivery is sincere but it also feels like he is laying off the affectation. The first song is entitled “Waves” and starts with acoustic guitars and vocals. I thought the guitars sounded warm and crisp. The vocal melody is memorable as the song builds subtly with shimmering cymbals and flickering keys. Those sort dynamics run throughout the song. Up next is “Old/New” which drives a little more. The chorus is absolutely infectious and runs deep. There is a CCR vibe here as well as some Neil Young. The lyrics are also clever and often funny. I liked the lines about Taco Bell. “Doomsday Parade” is up next and is perhaps the highlight. The song is very catchy and has a saloon type pf sing-along vibe. I thought the female vocal harmonies were a nice addition on the chorus. “Caves” was another highlight. The song gets a little psychedelic with blaring lead guitar and a very epic sounding chorus. “Space Monkey” was a side step. It feels sort of silly but I thoroughly enjoyed the piano led song which has a back and forth between the two vocalists. The album sort of gets back on the track with the beautiful and atmospheric “Thin Air.” I liked the weird sort of cosmic vibe that was happening. The guitar was getting some interesting tones and textures. There are more good times to be had with “Room on the Moon” however the closer “American Dogs” is by far the most reflective and melancholy song in the batch. This is a great album. There is plenty of variety but also an undeniable flow to the songs. Recommended.
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