Jayden Wark - The Vision IS Dead

Jayden Wark

The Vision Is Dead
self-released; 2023

4.1 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

​​​By ​Dino DiMuro

The Vision Is Dead is the new album from Canadian one-man band Jayden Wark, who describes himself as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer and producer. Though he resists genre categorization (going so far as to change his sound with each new release), he says he’s closest to alternative rock but also claims inspiration from space, electronic and punk rock, doo-wop, jazz and theatre music. He’s also an amazing cartoon animator, with his over-the-top visual sensibilities also spilling over into his music.

Wark describes this album as “a very electronic and spacey soundscape which is contrasted by loud and distorted guitars.”  For me, Wark is a classic example of a hyper-creative solo recording artist. In the popular realm he’s similar to They Might Be Giants or Ween (especially with his regular-guy vocals) but also harkens back to classic underground artists like R. Stevie Moore. I’d personally describe his music with a phrase coined by my old friend Brent who featured underground artists on his radio show: “Funny Rock, God Knows.” It’s hyperactive, hypercomplex music that refuses to play in the background. 

Thematically, The Vision Is Dead turns out to be an apt title, as much of Wark’s subject matter circles around the fear of death or the total confusion of being alive in the first place. Wark didn’t let me in on his recording secrets, but I’m assuming it’s mostly him on all instruments, production and mixing, and the sound quality is way above average for these types of projects. A fan on Wark’s Bandcamp page stated: “Coming up with a cohesive review is a challenge, because this album just makes my brain bounce around and scream.” I feel the same way, but I don’t have the luxury of screaming my way out of this one!

“What’s In His Head” begins with the first four lines of the track sung a cappella, and it reminds me of those old radio show banners where the singers perform a short ditty about the D.J. and the station. But this quickly gives way to a fuzz-drenched, prog rock riff before blasting into the song proper. The backbeat rocks and swings, the electric guitars are played as easily as most people breathe, and Wark’s vocals nail complex harmonies at breakneck speed. For an indie artist with a home taper attitude, Wark’s arrangements are amazingly sophisticated. There’s also banks of keyboards and synths that fill out the track beautifully, and the drums (real or digital, I can’t tell) also kick butt.

“Dance Your Life Away” fades in with a horror show soundtrack worthy of Cucurbitophobia, then settles into a synth rock vibe a la The Cars or Devo. But that’s only a short diversion as we’re quickly back to the driving rock and lush harmonies of the opening track. Without putting too fine a point on it, most of Wark’s lyrics seem to deal with the inescapable fact of our mortality. That’s not something I like to dwell on, but the vocals are so well-performed that I basically let them wash over me without pondering too closely.

“At Home” again starts with frightening sounds while adding a pounding heartbeat. This track begins mostly with vocals and Rickenbacker bass, and even when everything else kicks in, the arrangement has the feel of a funk workout while still reflecting Wark’s style. At this point I must admit I’m jealous of Wark’s ability to write chord sequences that switch effortlessly between major and minor keys while never sounding dissonant or sour. In fact most artists have less ideas in a whole album than in this one song! By the time we reach the end, the funk opening has been totally forgotten and it feels like the conclusion of a rock opera by a major musical act.

“Slip Away (Maybe…)” gets set up with short patterns of percolating synths, over which Wark adds his piano chords and dramatic, music hall-style vocals. This is a song where the stylistic mashup comes at you hot and heavy: synth pop, show tune and old-timey rock n’ roll trade places at dizzying speeds. In fact the wildly dramatic performance here conjures up Oingo Boingo in their heyday. “Mr. Dusky” starts with a strummed acoustic guitar that undergoes a smooth metamorphosis from tinny to sweet, an effect that totally caught me off-guard. Though he certainly hasn’t been “quiet” to this point, Wark performs this track almost like a street busker, with just his voice and guitar along with some piano and glockenspiel-like ornamentation. I imagine Wark’s demos must sound something like the arrangement here: sort of “Jayden Wark Unplugged.”

The next track “Everything We Know” is subtitled “Expiry Comes For Us All, Doesn't It Mr. Dusky? Now Please, You Need To Stop Staring At That Clock. We've Already Proved That Your Concept Of This ‘Supernal Standstill’ Was False.” That unwieldy title not only mentions Mr. Dusky from the previous track, but also name-checks Wark’s first album Supernal Standstill. Pretty bold to reference yourself after only a couple albums! This is an epic rock track running at six-plus minutes and has an accompanying animated video (also by Mr. Wark) that graphically illustrates all the scary themes you sensed Wark was singing about all along. While stylistically similar to what’s come before, there’s a section toward the end where Wark’s vocal overdubs approach Beach Boys majesty. 

“Photos Are Too Beautiful To Lose” is a great title for even longer, almost eight-minute rock track with more of Wark’s otherworldly vocal harmonies and killer guitar melodies. Hearing this track reminds me what it was like to first hear Queen’s incredible studio creations before they got played to death, maybe because of the quick blasts of Brian May-like classical and lead guitar (not to mention the stacked vocals!). It’s a freaking monster! Toward the end the music and arrangements take on a Yes-like shimmer.

The title track “The Vision Is Dead” concludes the album (except for a bonus track) with another foreboding overture, featuring dark synths, ominous piano and Wark’s mysterioso vocals. It’s a final creepy testament to Wark’s unsettling vision (“You’ll drift to the sun, your eyes will be gone… will you be alive when the vision is dead?”) but it sounds so amazing that I can’t wait to hear it without contemplating what it means! The bonus “Country Boy In The Sky” is as close as Wark gets to a “throwaway” track, which is to say, not close at all! But he actually allows himself to get goofy with country riffs and humorous vocals, and I sort of wish he’d done this before the end of the album! And like Monty Python, the whole thing ends with an explosion.

​If it isn’t clear by now how much I liked this album, then you really haven’t been paying attention. But Wark’s music is there and you need to hear it. Beyond recommended!

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