Jayson M - The Dark Eden

Jayson M

The Dark Eden
self-released; 2015

3.3 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

Jayson M hails from Sydney, Australia and has been writing music for different projects for several years, ranging from pop bands to heavy metal bands. This fact is evident on his release The Dark Eden. He does things like implement a heavy metal type guitar solo into a pop ballad.

I have to admit I have ambivalent feelings about his singing style. He will go from sounding like an almost sensitive, singer/songwriter type to an indignant, pissed off metal singer when he hits higher notes. It struck me as odd that his inflection would change his delivery that much. He usually sounded best as a sensitive singer/songwriter or slightly above. The angrier side wasn't working as much.

The production is good at times but suffers from some elements being too loud in the mix There were a number of times where the lead guitars was too loud and his vocals were too soft. The album is low in terms of volume on a song or two and much louder on the rest., The album would benefit from being re-mastered.

The Dark Eden starts with “Dream The Future” which is a well-written song that revolves around piano and his vocals. I was reminded of a melodramatic Disney song you would hear on a movie like The Lion King at times. The song’s best moments are around the two-minute mark where he pulls off some engaging instrumental parts.

“Satin Sheets” sounds like a mainstream pop song and you will hear him going back and forth between the two vocals styles I described earlier. The lyrics reflect the ubiquitous nature of the song. He sings, “Submerged beneath / Satin sheets that bind us / To the belief that if you / Just bury me In blankets of your love / I won’t leave I won’t leave.” “Ruins” benefits from orchestral strings and impressive lead guitar playing.

As the album progresses the song are hit and miss. I was most impressed by his technical ability on the instrumental parts of a couple of songs. Most of the songs revolve around his acoustic guitar and vocals.

I’m not exactly sure where these songs land but will they most likely be enjoyed by a large demographic rather than those who prefer niche, esoteric styles of music. I could picture some of his music being played in a movie since it's emotionally dynamic and somewhat thematic.

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