Jon Protas - East of Here

Jon Protas

East of Here
​self-released; 2022

3.7 out of 5

By Jamie Funk
​

Jon Protas is a musician from Vermont who recently released East of Here. Protas mentions the EP is “Mostly acoustic-based songs with carefully crafted arrangements, with elements of rock and folk, showing influences from the Beatles, Bowie, Elliot Smith, Pavement and others”. I would agree I picked up on some of those influences when listening to East of Here.

The album begins with “The Long Way” and you are greeted with inventive chord progressions. It felt like he was implementing palm muting into certain sections. A subtle organ comes in and the energy picks up. The vocals sound great. There’s smooth wordplay and I thought the lyrics were very well written. Great opener which displays his talent as a songwriter and musician. 

“Genet” has a jazzy style that made me think of Tom Waits. The music is organic, acoustic and I liked the subtlety. Protas’ vocals hit a higher range on this song and he sounds good here as well. I felt like I was in a coffee shop on the lower east side with this song.

“Life is Long” is sort of a philosophical lament and existential declaration. It doesn't come off too heavy though. The instrumentation is very subdued. It’s like I could groove to it but not quite dance. Perhaps a little dance while sitting. 

“Goddess” is by far the most rocking song so far. Tom Waits did come to mind again mixed with a southern gothic rock vibe. I absolutely loved some of the guitar sounds and the groove is sort of ominous but playful as well. Great song. “Mary” is a heartfelt and warm song. It reverts to acoustic instrumentation. There’s a near constant beat but it’s the guitar work and wonderful vocals that make this a great song. Bright Eyes and Pavement came to mind on this song but it was subtle. 

“Shift’ is basically an old blues song. Cool song but pretty straightforward. “Move Yr Mouth” might be the highlight, The groove, the vocals and overall aesthetic was top notch. There’s almost a jam band structure to this song. He sounds like he’s almost whispering and the words come quickly. 

“Television” actually made me laugh in a good way because I could totally relate. I’m addicted to a number of shows right now like Westworld and Better Call Saul and this song revolves around that. It’s also just a well crafted tune that’s dynamic and infectious. 

“No Buses Leaving” is the closer and an exceptional song. It’s got an orchestral string which sound like a cello or a bass that mixes with acoustic guitar picking. This song felt a little more serious in some ways. There was a playfulness to some of the prior songs but this song felt very earnest and goes into melancholy and nostalgia. It felt like an interesting and powerful  way to end.

​Protas has a lot of talent anyway you slice it. I thought this was a great album that displayed his strong songwriting talent as well as his delivery. Recommended.

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